Exactly the Same, Completely Different
by K. Christine
Summary: Growing up means growing apart. Raven braces herself for the inevitable.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine, but DC and I go way back ...

**Author's Note:** Although this was posted at a much earlier date it fits chronologically after my latest story, _A Matter of Control_. Neither story depends on the other, but since I intended both stories to occupy the same universe I felt compelled to point this out. Yeah.

* * *

**Chapter One**

The sun blazed high in the afternoon sky, warming the asphalt until it reflected heat in a wavering haze. Under the red-tinged shade of the umbrella, Raven was uncomfortably hot and cranky. She longed to return to the climate controlled coolness of Titans' Tower, but she had one minor irritant to take care of first. She put her palms down on the table and leaned forward, looking her tablemate in the eye sternly.

"Look, Bonnie–"

"Bunny," the blond corrected her, despite a mouthful of pizza.

Raven faltered for a moment but didn't allow herself to be sidetracked. "Fine, Bunny," she enunciated. The name was ridiculous; it belonged on a stripper. Or a Barbie-doll. _'On second thought, that's just about right,'_ she mused uncharitably.

"Our job is important. Being a Titan is not just a hobby; it's not like cheerleading or shoe shopping or whatever you do for fun. This city depends on us."

Bunny nodded wisely and grabbed Raven's arm, "I know. I know everything about you guys, I'm a huge fan!" Raven jerked away from the contact, but not before sensing the girl's enthusiasm, nervousness, adoration … the girl had no emotional control at all. Raven's eye started to twitch.

"Then you know that we don't have time for a social life; you'll probably spend most of your evenings home alone, waiting for the phone to ring." She paused for a reply, but Bunny sat at rapt attention, waiting for her to continue.

"You'll need attention. He won't be able to give it to you. You'll start feeling sorry for yourself," Raven paused to see whether or not her words were making an impact. They weren't. "He'll kill himself trying to make it up to you. There'll be an ugly breakup and he'll spend the next three weeks moping around the tower until he meets the next tiny blond. Just like every other time."

Raven took a much needed breath and studied Bunny's reaction. For a moment the girl seemed unsure, then her face brightened and she giggled dismissively. "Don't be crazy! I've had a huge crush on him, on all of you, really, since I was in junior high. I've dreamed about this my whole life, I'm not gonna let _anything_ mess this up." She bit her lip, then added questioningly, "Besides, should you really be talking about him like this behind his back?"

"It doesn't matter. I've heard it all before."

Raven looked over her shoulder and watched Beast Boy approach. He ambled around the table and collapsed on the bench next to Bunny, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You'll get used to Raven, you guys'll be best friends in no time."

Raven snorted and pulled her hood over her eyes while Bunny beamed up at Beast Boy adoringly. He smiled down and kissed the top of her nose. "You done? I'll meet you out front, okay?" Bunny nodded agreeably, waved her fingertips at Raven in farewell, and bounced away, every male eye in the pizza parlor avidly watching her retreat.

Once the door had closed on Bunny's perky form, Beast Boy turned back to Raven, a smile tugging at his lips. Raven struggled to block out the happiness she felt radiating from him, but didn't quite succeed.

After years of practice, she had all but perfected her ability to filter out the emotions of those around her. The moods of Robin, with his logical mind, or Cyborg, with his steady disposition, rarely even registered in her subconscious but Beast Boy, like Starfire, was far too emotional for her empathic gift to ignore completely. Usually she was able to muffle the sensations, at least enough so that they didn't bother her; now however, the joyful vibe coming from Beast Boy was overwhelming. It was also giving her a headache.

The green-skinned boy was looking at her eagerly; she wasn't sure why, but he clearly valued her opinion. Beast Boy had made a point of introducing every single one of his girlfriends to her for the last several years. They danced through her mind now, an endless string of perky blondes with names she couldn't remember. Bunny would fit right in. But he was looking at her hopefully now, and she couldn't bring herself to crush him completely.

"She's cute," Raven offered grudgingly.

"I know."

"I'm right, though. About what happens next. I'm always right."

Beast Boy smiled fondly down at Raven and tugged her hood firmly over her eyes. "I know that, too."

* * *

She'd just read the same sentence six times and its essence still eluded her. Raven tossed her book aside and flopped onto her back. She gazed unseeingly at her bedroom ceiling while she tried to settle her whirling thoughts into some semblance of order.

She was worried again, it was starting to seem like all she did was fret about the Titans. Raven was tired of worrying.

They had ceased calling themselves the Teen Titans last year when Cyborg finally turned twenty-one. Over the years they had seen friends come and go, but the core five had remained. Raven knew that the day was coming when they would each go their separate ways, but she couldn't bring herself to face that fact. Without her friends to support her, Raven feared she was only one emotional crisis away from the deranged creature Starfire had described from her adventure in the future.

Worse, she wasn't entirely certain that she was free of the evil she had inherited from her father. Trigon was dead, there could be no mistaking that, but Raven herself had always been part demon and while she would like to believe that the events surrounding her father's death had cleansed her, she couldn't bring herself to believe that that was the case. One of these days her demon side just might awaken to wreak havoc on her life and she wasn't sure she would be able to stop it. Cyborg had insisted that Raven was stronger than she gave herself credit for, but she knew she needed her friends more than they would ever need her. The thought of trying to make it on her own terrified her.

Ironically, the biggest threat to the team came from within. Robin and Starfire were practically joined at the hip now. She wanted to be sickened by their obvious affection for each other, but she couldn't quite manage it. Raven dreaded the day when the two of them finally realized that, between his brain and her brawn, they had everything they needed and that the rest of the Titans were superfluous. Cyborg would tell her that she was just borrowing trouble, but Raven knew better. Some things were simply inevitable.

She sighed, disgusted with herself, and allowed her determined mind to settle on Beast Boy. He was certainly the wild card in this situation. One of these days that nitwit was going to find the right blond bimbo and fall hard. Well, harder. She'd probably convince him to give everything up and move to Aruba and that would be that. It wasn't the same situation as with Robin and Starfire. True, she could predict that they would eventually break with the group, but at least they were dear friends. Neither of them was a virtual unknown flouncing into her life and threatening to ruin everything.

Raven caught herself scowling ferociously and forced herself to relax. She rolled off the bed and snuck a quick glance in the mirror. Satisfied with her appearance, she exited her room and padded softly down the hall in search of Cyborg. She didn't even hesitate, she knew just where he'd be.

She found him in the gym. Of course. Cyborg was one of the strongest men alive, but he'd never allow himself to be satisfied with that. He was forever pushing himself to be stronger, smarter, faster … it was one of the things she admired most about him.

A couple of years back, she had toyed with the idea of instigating a romance with Cyborg. He was solid and safe, dependable. She could care for him dearly without getting entangled in any of the more complicated emotions. It could have been ideal, for her at least. But before she could find the nerve to broach the subject, he had met Sarah. Sarah was a research scientist from the city, and Cyborg was crazy about her. Sarah was crazy about him too, and while Raven supposed she could have cause to be envious, she didn't bother. They were perfect for each other.

It was a relief, really. True, she still thought wistfully about her missed opportunity; allowing herself to be in love with Cyborg would have been … nice. Mostly, though, she was thankful that she had neither revealed herself nor risked their friendship on such a potentially damaging experiment.

The extra time she had spent with Cyborg had produced at least one positive result: he was now her most trusted confidante. He had the uncanny ability to deduce her thoughts, often before she herself was aware of them It was a potentially annoying trait, but useful when her mind was in disarray.

"Gar's got himself a new girlfriend, huh?" It wasn't even a question.

"Wow. News travels fast."

He chuckled, "Nah. It's all over your face; you get that same look every time." He leaned toward her and grinned knowingly, "You already gave her the talk, didn't you?"

Raven drew her cloak closer, "Someone has to. We're not nearly as effective when Garfield's girlfriends get in the way."

Cyborg appeared to contemplate this for a moment, "Hmm, _we're_ not as effective, or _he_ isn't?" An evil light glinted in his eye and he lowered his voice, "Or _you_ aren't?"

He had crossed a line and they both knew it. Raven briefly considered strangling him with his own circuitry, but dismissed the idea as too extreme. She glared at him menacingly, but anger flashed in her eyes only briefly before being replaced with less dangerous irritation. It was true that her father now presented no threat to her, and that she had gained better control of her emotions, but strong feelings of rage or joy could still cause mishaps if she wasn't careful.

Cyborg grinned triumphantly, "Hit a nerve, didn't I?"

"You get to live _this_ time, Victor. Don't push it."

The cybernetic shrugged and gazed at her with the superior expression Raven hated so much. Somehow their conversations always came around to Cyborg's theories about Raven's secret affections; most of the time she knew he was just teasing her, but other times he was convincingly serious. She always cut him off before he could warm to the subject, but she couldn't seem to stop him from hinting. It wasn't so bad when he went on about the mailman or the guy at the bookstore, but she felt distinctly uncomfortable when he teased her about secretly pining for Robin or having a 'thing' for Beast Boy. The closest she'd come in years to having a 'thing' for _anyone_ was Cyborg himself, but she could hardly tell him that.

"Garfield needs someone to keep an eye on him," she explained for what felt like the two hundredth time. "He keeps making the same ridiculous mistakes. Just because he's the youngest doesn't mean we should let him –"

Cyborg snorted, "Youngest by about a month and a half. Plus, he's got almost a foot on you, lady. Better be careful who you patronize."

Raven grimaced. She was seventeen when she realized she had become the shortest Titan, and by a fair margin. Three years later, it was still a sore point for her. "Fine, but I'm certainly ahead of him in common sense."

"What's the harm in letting him have a little fun?" Raven stared at him pointedly and he conceded, "Okay, fine. So he'll be a little off for a few weeks, so what? Once he gets over the inevitable breakup things'll settle down. It's not like we can expect him to sit around here every day and learn how to knit. He's a guy, this is normal."

"_You_ don't act like that."

"_I_ don't date."

Raven's eyes widened. "What happened to Sarah?"

"I don't date_ much_," Cyborg amended. "And she's been busy with work."

"Hmm. The point is I'm just trying to look out for the team. It's my job."

"And being jealous of B.B.'s girlfriends is …?"

"Your own little delusion," Raven finished for him, rolling her eyes, "Don't be absurd."

Cyborg just smiled infuriatingly.

* * *

"C'mon, Star," Beast Boy tugged excitedly at the tall girl's hand, "come over here and meet Bunny, you're gonna love her."

Beast Boy had arranged a picnic in the park to facilitate the Titans' official introduction to his new girlfriend. Most of the Titans hadn't even bothered to meet the last few girls, so the fact that Bunny warranted an event meant that Beast Boy was serious about her. Raven, who _had_ met the previous candidates, had confided to Cyborg that she didn't see anything particularly special about Bunny but he just smiled and patted her on the head before striding over to envelope Bunny's tiny hand in both of his.

"Nice to meet you, little lady. I've heard a lot about you. I understand you–what the–?!"

Cyborg was caught off guard when Bunny, already bouncing on her toes eagerly, abandoned all pretense and launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. "I've wanted to do that for years! You just seem so _nice_, like a big brother. I mean, Robin's all quiet and intense, and Gar's charming and funny, but you … you just seem so _nice_! I have to hug you, I'll bet a lot of girls come up and hug you."

Raven watched in amusement as Cyborg, a smile fixed determinedly on his face, extricated himself from the enthusiastic girl and slowly backed away. "Uh, no. No, I can't say that they do. But you … you … uh, you go ahead and make yourself a burger. I'll just … I'll just finish grilling them. Nice meeting … you." His hands in front of him as if warding off an attack, Cyborg hastily retreated to his station behind the barbeque.

Bunny looked slightly disconcerted, but her face broke into a smile once again as Starfire flew toward her and grasped her hands fervently. "I am elated to meet you! I am Starfire."

"I know," Bunny giggled, "Oh, and I've always wanted to know, who dyes your hair?"

Robin had joined Raven and Cyborg behind the grill and the three friends observed the giggling girls with pained expressions on their faces. "The giggling, the hugging …" Cyborg mused, "Is it just me, or is this one crazy?"

Robin, his brow furrowed and looking slightly offended, opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again resolutely. Finally he shrugged, "It takes all kinds."

"Yeah, but–" Cyborg broke off abruptly when the boy in question loped over to join them, a gigantic grin splitting his face.

"Whaddaya think?" he questioned happily, "I mean, besides Raven, I already know her opinion." He glanced over at Raven and good-naturedly rolled his eyes, she just shrugged.

"She seems nice," Robin said carefully, "pretty."

"Yeah," Cyborg agreed, "and happy. It's kinda like dating a blond Starfire."

Beast Boy looked momentarily startled, and Robin turned to eye him suspiciously. "Uh, I don't know about that … but she really likes the Titans, she's kind of a fan; she says that she gets that I have other responsibilities. And she's smart. I mean, she's not a PhD or anything, but she does okay. Plus," he looked pointedly at Raven, "she thinks I'm really funny."

Raven narrowed her eyes, "Maybe you should get her hearing checked."

Beast Boy grinned widely and shook his head. "You'll come around, Raven," he predicted before turning on his heel and jogging over to rejoin his girlfriend. Raven scowled at his retreating back. She wasn't sure if he was referring to Bunny or to his own abominable sense of humor, but chances were slim either way.

* * *

"So …" Robin broke the silence uncertainly.

"Yeah," Cyborg agreed glumly.

The afternoon picnic had been mercifully cut short when a distress call had sounded on the communicators. An electronics store in the U district had been robbed by a group of mystery assailants, but the criminals had vanished before the Titans arrived, and Robin had immediately suggested they return to the Tower in case they were needed again. It was just an excuse, of course. Raven knew Robin just wanted to avoid several more excruciating hours with Bunny, and from the vaguely hurt look on his face, Raven suspected Beast Boy knew it too. They had spent the rest of the afternoon lounging about the Tower until Beast Boy had made his excuses and had departed to take Bunny to a movie.

"Is it just my imagination, or are they getting worse?"

"Who are getting worse?" Starfire questioned and Robin flushed guiltily. Starfire, at least, had taken to Bunny enthusiastically; the girls had already made plans to hit the mall later that week.

"Uh … the criminal element, Star."

Starfire seemed to accept this and nodded uncertainly, "I suppose so. Certainly no one was hurt this time, but that does not make the crime any less heinous."

An awkward silence followed, only Starfire seemed unaffected. Raven suddenly realized that exhaustion had caught up with her and she stood up abruptly. "I'm going to bed."

Cyborg raised an eyebrow, "It's only nine o'clock."

Raven ignored him and swept from the room. The day had been intolerable, somehow. The sooner she slept, the sooner it would be over.

* * *

She hadn't been able to sleep after all; instead she watched the hands on her bedside clock slowly revolve. At three-thirty she gave up the pretense and slid out of bed.

She padded down the corridor to the common room; a cup of tea could cure all ills. The door glided open and she was startled to come face to face with Beast Boy. "You're up late," he commented amusedly, "waiting up for me?"

"Couldn't sleep, needed tea," she replied curtly, "Are you just getting home?"

"Yeah, the movie was great! So we saw it twice. Then I took her back to the park and we watched the stars for awhile," he smiled softly at her and added, "she's really great, Raven. I know you guys don't like her much, but-"

"That … that's not true," Raven interrupted uncomfortably. She didn't understand her sudden urge to avoid hurting his feelings, but she soldiered on doggedly, "we just … it just takes me a while to get used to new people. You know that." He was looking at her uncertainly so she forced her lips into a reassuring smile.

"… Okay. I just … I'm glad you guys all met her. You never know, maybe this one will be the one, y'know?" It never ceased to amaze Raven that, even after all that he had been through, Beast Boy was still an incurable romantic.

"Maybe. I hope so, Garfield." Her voice sounded curiously flat in her own ears, but it seemed to satisfy Beast Boy.

"Thanks, Rave. Hey, I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't."

But she did.

* * *

'_Up next, stay tuned for the further adventures of-'_

Click.

'_-other news, self proclaimed reformed master criminal, Mad Mod, has issued a statement-'_

Click.

'_-Wally's Photo Hut, you'll be in and out in a flash!'_

Click.

Raven distractedly blew a lock of hair out of her eyes, leveled a warning glare at Cyborg to remind him to keep the volume down, and tried once again to finish her paragraph. Cyborg and Beast Boy were at the other end of the couch, mindlessly flipping through channels, Robin was in the gym, Starfire was still at the mall, and Raven … Raven had been on the same page for an hour and a half. Disgustedly, she threw her book aside and uncoiled her legs.

"Goin' somewhere?" Cyborg asked almost hopefully.

"Up to the roof. I can't concentrate in here."

"Hmph. We could go do something fun," he suggested.

She seriously considered it for a moment; it had been ages since she'd been to the movies. The idea was forgotten a moment later when Starfire zoomed into the room, her arms full of recent purchases. She stopped right in front of Raven and dumped the entire pile on her lap.

"Friend, I wish you had come as well! Would you care to see what I have acquired?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Beast Boy and Cyborg smirk at her; she resisted the urge to scowl back at them. They knew, as Starfire apparently did not, that Raven regarded shopping with slightly less enthusiasm than she did vacuuming or cleaning the refrigerator.

"Uh, thanks Kory. Why don't I look at them later?" If she was lucky, Starfire would forget about it entirely; if she was truly unlucky, Starfire would make her try on something pink … and possibly fuzzy. Starfire smiled winningly, gathered up her bags and packages, and zipped out of the room.

She returned a moment later with Robin in tow. Robin was looking vaguely disturbed, but Starfire beamed happily. "It is all arranged. Come, Beast Boy, or we will be late!"

"Huh?" Beast Boy exchanged confused glances with Cyborg and Raven, "Late for what? Where're we going?"

Starfire clapped her hands together excitedly, "It is a surprise, but Bunny and I have arranged everything! I believe she referred to it as a 'double date.'"

Robin was now looking slightly green, and Raven thought Beast Boy might have as well if his natural skin tone hadn't beaten him to it. The two boys eyed Starfire dubiously, glanced at each other uncomfortably, and then came to a resigned decision in the face of her enthusiasm.

"Okay, sure. Just give me a sec to get ready."

Beast Boy, followed by Robin and Starfire, trudged out of the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, Cyborg burst into laughter. "Aw, man. The look on that boy's face!"

Raven permitted herself a tiny smile, "Which one?"

"Doesn't matter," he guffawed, then sobered slightly, "Man, I don't think B.B. was counting on Starfire becoming best friends with his girlfriend this soon. Poor guy, things just got complicated."

"Mmm."

"So Raven, you want to hit a movie or something? As long as I'm back by-" he checked the digital readout on his forearm and swore loudly, "Is that the time?"

He looked up at Raven apologetically, "I made plans with Sarah tonight. You wanna come along? I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Raven shook her head, the last thing she needed was a sympathy invite.

"You sure?"

"Yes, Victor. Very sure. Besides, I like having the Tower to myself. Maybe I'll finally get some reading done."

She smiled at him reassuringly, but she could tell he wasn't convinced. He hesitated uncertainly, so she took it upon herself to physically shove him out the door. It was good practice, she reflected, maybe it would get easier with time.

* * *

The doors to the common room slid open to admit a decidedly grumpy group of Titans. As one, the boys staggered into the kitchen and began pawing through the contents of the refrigerator while Raven glided silently into the living room to join Starfire on the sofa.

"That is the second time in the past week that these strange criminals have vanished and left no clues," Starfire mused sleepily.

"Third," Raven yawned and tilted her head back to rest against the couch, "remember Sunday afternoon?"

Robin walked past them to place a heaping bowl of microwave popcorn on the coffee table before flopping down on the sofa beside Starfire. A steaming cup of tea appeared at Raven's shoulder and she gratefully accepted it from a haggard looking Beast Boy. Cyborg and Beast Boy joined the others on the couch and for a few moments the five friends sat in silence, distractedly munching on handfuls of popped corn.

"I must have missed something."

Robin's growl startled Raven out of her lethargy. Beside her, Cyborg elbowed Beast Boy in the ribs and muttered, "Six and a half minutes, fork it over."

Grudgingly, Beast Boy dug a hand into his pocket and fished out a wad of bills. He stuffed a couple of them in Cyborg's outstretched hand and turned to address Robin. "We didn't miss anything, dude. We all looked, there wasn't anything there."

"Yep, these guys are smart," Cyborg agreed. "If I had to guess, I'd say they're knocking all the security offline remotely."

"And they're _good_," Beast Boy added. They were, too. During the two minute call the owner had placed to the security company from his phone in the back room, the thieves had removed every last piece of jewelry.

Robin just grunted and Starfire laid a hand on his arm. "Enough talking," she insisted, "it is time to go back to bed. We will try to solve this mystery in the morning." Raven eyed the duo warily and felt the boys beside her tense as they awaited Robin's reaction to Starfire's directive, but the dark-haired boy just smiled.

"You're right, Star. Everyone go to sleep, I need you all well-rested tomorrow." Raven drew her hood up over her eyes and allowed herself a tiny smirk; Starfire certainly walked where the rest of the Titans feared to tread. The years may have mellowed Robin slightly, but he still hated to have his authority questioned; only the Tamaranian could get away with it.

Raven strolled to her room lost in thought. She pondered the three anonymous crimes, hoping to find a previously unseen connection. All three were simple robberies, no injuries involved, the witnesses were vague, and each time the criminals had vanished before the Titans even arrived on the scene. Beyond that the similarities stopped. So far an electronics outlet, a jewelry store, and a vintage clothing boutique had been pilfered, and beyond the petty theft angle, the Titans were hard-pressed to find a connection.

A hand descended on her shoulder and Raven, startled, whirled around defensively. "Whoa! Time to relax, it's just me."

"You shouldn't go around sneaking up on people," she snapped, extinguishing the dark flame at her fingertips and willing her heart to resume normal function.

Cyborg chuckled nervously, "I wasn't sneaking, you were preoccupied." She grunted in response and he stepped toward her, "You sure you're okay?"

"Fine. I'm just thinking about our mystery thieves."

"Ah, is that all? I thought maybe …" he trailed off. She looked at him curiously, but all he said was, "You want some company? I don't need to recharge just yet, and I hear you haven't been sleeping anyway. Maybe we can figure something out."

She considered asking him how he knew about her insomnia, but decided she didn't need to know the answer. "Sure," she said, motioning him toward her room. "Let's talk. Sleep is overrated anyway."

* * *

Robin looked up from the computer monitor he was studying and frowned. "You're going out again?"

Raven didn't even bother looking up from her book. She didn't need to; she could see Robin's stern expression and Beast Boy's foolish grin in her mind's eye.

Beast Boy paused on his way to the door to check his reflection in the side of the toaster. "I'm taking Bunny to dinner."

"That's four dates this week."

"Five," Beast Boy grinned over his shoulder, "Tomorrow we're going to the zoo."

Robin frowned slightly, "Don't you think you're spending a little too much time with this girl? The team needs you right now."

Beast Boy quietly set the toaster back on the counter before turning to face Robin, his expression carefully neutral. "You know that all you have to do is call me," his voice was quiet and he tapped his communicator meaningfully. "Besides, I don't remember giving you a hard time about all the time you spend with _your_ girlfriend."

"Starfire lives here," Robin pointed out and Raven groaned inwardly. Robin seemed to sense he'd made some sort of blunder and visibly tensed for Beast Boy's response.

Beast Boy narrowed his eyes, but the angry retort didn't come. Instead his face relaxed into a grin. "I guess I could invite Bunny to stay with us, she could have the guest room. I bet she'd love living here with the Titans."

Raven finally raised her eyes from her book and met Robin's panicked gaze, the look on his face matched her feelings exactly. "Uh, that's okay," Robin managed to choke out, "You guys need your space. You'd better hurry or you'll be late."

Beast Boy shrugged, then with a casual wave that included Raven, turned and walked out the door. "That was close," Raven sighed, "You're lucky Kory didn't hear that." Robin shuddered. They both knew that the only reason Starfire wasn't lobbying for Bunny's permanent residence in the Tower was because it hadn't occurred to her yet.

Robin groaned. "We hardly ever see him anymore. I just don't want to lose a member of my team."

"You can't keep him here if he doesn't want to stay," she said quietly.

"I know," Robin replied curtly. Then, "There's something I need to tell you."

Raven could tell by the hesitant look in his eyes that she didn't want to hear it, but she nodded at him to continue.

"I've been invited to take a job over on the east coast," he confessed quickly. She must have looked almost as stunned as she felt because when he continued he was almost apologetic, "I'm just looking into it right now. I think they might need me."

"We need you here," Raven reminded him, "I need you."

"Nah, you'd be fine. You're the one I'm counting on to keep things going over here."

"Richard, you know I can't. What if I–?"

"You won't," his voice was stern and she reluctantly bit back her concerns. "You didn't even give in when your father came back, Raven. You're strong. Everybody's got a dark side, the key is to keep it in check."

"I'm not strong. What if my demon side wakes up? What if I can't control it?"

"Never gonna happen. You're stronger than you think. We all know that already. Someday you'll figure it out, too."

"I wish I could believe that."

"You will," he touched her shoulder gently, "Someday. Hey, don't tell the others about that job. I'm still just thinking it over, y'know?"

"I won't," Raven sighed. "I'm hoping you'll change your mind."

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The flashing light and harsh tone of the alert system jolted Raven out of a troubled sleep. She lay in bed for a moment and silently willed the alarm into silence, but gave it up as a lost cause when Cyborg pounded on her door.

"C'mon Raven, we gotta go!"

Growling with frustration, Raven flung the covers back and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Wincing slightly at her contact with the cold floor, she dressed quickly, still securing her cloak over her shoulders as she left her room.

The others were already gathered in the common room when she arrived and with the exception of Robin, no one looked particularly alert.

"Geez, Raven," Beast Boy yawned, revealing abnormally pointed canines, "You look like I feel."

She gave him a withering glare and turned her attention to Robin. "This is ridiculous. Seven nights in a row. We can't keep doing this."

Robin nodded and drove his fist into the palm of his hand, "I know, but this time we're going to find out who's behind all of this. I'm sure of it." Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged dubious glances while Starfire did her best to hide a yawn.

"Come on, guys," Robin barked, determinedly rallying the troops, "We need to hurry. This ends tonight."

* * *

The criminals had already cleaned out the warehouse and disappeared by the time the Titans arrived. Raven had joined the others in a fruitless search for clues when a short, red-faced man dashed up to her.

"So you're finally here, are you? Took you long enough to get here."

"Excuse me?"

"At first, I didn't even know they were here," the little man ranted, "I barely even got a look at them, they were just three shadows moving around the crates and hauling the merchandise out the door. They were strong, too. The whole shipment was gone in about five minutes."

"Wait," Beast Boy broke in from over Raven's shoulder, "you actually saw them?"

"I just said so, didn't I? Only I couldn't see what they looked like, just blobs of shadow. But maybe the security tapes would help."

"Your security cameras are still working?" Cyborg questioned doubtfully.

"Not the new ones," the little man admitted gruffly, "worthless pieces of junk, they stopped working just before the whole thing started. But I've got a few older models still running just dandy. They don't make 'em like they used to, I always say."

"Where are those tapes?" Robin demanded excitedly, "I'll need to see them." The man beckoned for Robin to follow him and the pair disappeared into a tiny office.

"How about that," Cyborg said admiringly, "looks like the Boy Wonder was right after all, maybe we _will_ solve this thing tonight." The remaining four Titans continued to scour the warehouse for evidence, but it was as clean as each of the previous crime scenes had been.

Half an hour later Robin returned, VHS tape in hand. "Martin's gonna let us borrow this," he announced grimly, "there's something you all need to see."

* * *

Judging by the quality of silence in the room, Raven guessed that her friends were just as stunned as she was. She jumped when Robin cleared his throat and flicked the television off.

"I think we can all agree that we have our work cut out for us."

"But I do not understand," Starfire spoke slowly, "who are those people?"

Robin shrugged, "We don't know yet, it looks like we have some new players in town."

"Perhaps it is some kind of joke," Starfire insisted.

"If it is, it isn't funny," Cyborg said grimly.

Beast Boy's mouth was moving, but so far he hadn't managed to get anything out. "But … I mean … they're you!" he finally sputtered.

Raven hated to admit it, but Beast Boy was right. Although the picture on the video was grainy, the three figures that had been recorded were obviously meant to be Robin, Starfire and herself. The likenesses were too stiff to be exact, but they were close enough to fool the casual observer.

"But who would want to dress up like us?" Starfire asked, clearly flummoxed.

"Someone who wanted to get us into trouble," Robin explained, "someone out there is trying to make us look bad. We need to find out who before this gets out of hand."

* * *

"Full house, kings over tens," Beast Boy crowed as he laid his cards down with a flourish, "Read 'em and weep." He leaned across the countertop to scoop up his winnings while Cyborg gathered the cards up and started to shuffle.

"This isn't even fun anymore," the cybernetic groaned as he dealt the next hand.

"Hey, don't blame me. I wanted to play strip poker, she's the one who nixed the idea," Beast Boy jerked his thumb in Starfire's direction and the alien girl frowned.

"I have already learned my lesson. Also, I do not think you two play fair when we use those rules."

"She's got us, man," Cyborg said sadly and Beast Boy nodded resignedly.

"Are you certain you do not wish to play, Raven?"

Raven peered over the top of her book and shook her head. "No thanks. I don't play poker."

"Too bad," Beast Boy grinned roguishly, "Want us to let you know when we start playing 'go fish?'"

Raven ignored him and Starfire raised her voice to carry across the room, "Robin?" The black-haired boy's eyes never even left the television screen. "Robin, I would like to ask if you would care to–"

"Not now, Star," Robin interrupted. Almost at once he swiveled his head to face her and, catching the hurt look in her eyes, he added in a gentler tone, "I'm sorry, Starfire. Hang on a sec, I want to see this."

Every eye in the room was now turned curiously toward the television set. A local news reporter was on the street accosting innocent pedestrians, demanding their opinion of the recent development.

"What development?" Beast Boy questioned, but the other four hissed at him to keep quiet.

The scene switched to the newsroom where the anchor introduced the relevant video segment. _'Pay careful attention to this recent security footage. As you can see, the Titans were behind this recent robbery, and some official sources speculate that the team has been behind the recent crime wave from the beginning.'_

The Titans watched in shock as the footage from the warehouse robbery played out across the screen. "I do not understand," Starfire whispered, "how did they find–?"

Her unfinished question was answered a moment later when Martin's round, red face loomed into view. _'I was there the night this happened. The Titans … they told me to keep quiet, that they didn't want this getting out, but I reckon the public needs to know.'_

"That's not–" Robin began angrily, but quieted immediately to listen to the conclusion of the report.

'_And there you have it. Almost __a dozen __robberies in the past two weeks, all apparently the work of our self-proclaimed defenders. If the Titans have truly taken the law into their own hands, can our local law enforcement stop them?'_

Robin punched the button to turn off the television and turned to face his team. "I was afraid of this," he said grimly.

"I'll call the networks," Cyborg sighed heavily, "maybe I can do some damage control."

"Fine. Good. The rest of you? I need you out on the street. We need to find these guys. Now."

* * *

"We've got an alarm from the bank on sixth," Robin's voice crackled from Raven's communicator.

"Dude, I was _just_ there!" Even over the static, the frustration in Beast Boy's tone was evident.

"I know, sorry Gar. I'll meet you guys over there."

Raven sighed and adjusted her course toward the newest crime scene. Her investigation of the pier hadn't been completed, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Rather than waiting for the next alert, Robin now had the Titans patrolling every night, but the Titan doppelgangers were still as elusive as ever. To make matters worse, the added publicity seemed to be encouraging them; the mystery criminals were now pulling several heists a day.

The most recent development was that, thanks to the increase in public interest, amateur photographs of the Titans were showing up daily in the print media. Some of the photos were of the actual Titans, taken while they were making their nightly rounds, and some seemed to be of the mysterious culprits, but as they were invariably taken during the nighttime hours all were considered evidence of underhanded activities. Raven was getting tired of seeing her own face on the front page of the paper accompanied by headlines demanding the Titans be apprehended and jailed. If it had been her decision, she would have washed her hands of the whole situation long ago.

Perhaps the worst part was the new attitude the general public had adopted toward them. Raven, always regarded as the coldest and least approachable Titan, had prided herself on not caring about her reputation. That, she quickly realized, was before she became one of the most reviled celebrities in all of Jump City. Now she couldn't even show her face without encountering overt suspicion, hate-filled glares and sometimes minor acts of aggression. Some of the city's citizens, mostly those aided by the Titans before, staunchly defended their innocence, but the majority of the population seemed perfectly willing to disown them.

The only bright spot was that the local law enforcement now believed in their innocence. Robin had made a point of checking in with the police chief regularly and had actually been inside the station the last time a call had come in to report a robbery he was allegedly involved in. He had given the officials access to their communication frequency, and while Raven wasn't thrilled with the idea that she was being tracked around the clock, she supposed the benefit of staying out of jail outweighed the inconvenience.

Despite official support, however, the media continued to encourage rumors and suspicion. Apparently the story of heroes-gone-bad was too good not to run with, and while the police chief's official findings were dutifully reported, it was with skepticism and hints of conspiracy. Meanwhile, each new sighting of a Titan involved in criminal activity was reported with ill-disguised glee. The final straw, as far as Raven was concerned, was when a panel of previously incarcerated criminals appeared on a local morning talk show to discuss the appalling state of the city and call for a return to common decency.

"We're all here, Raven. Where are you?" Robin's voice issued from the communicator once more.

"Right behind you," Raven said dryly, stepping out of a nearby alley.

"Ah, great," Robin squeaked and he cleared his throat. "Great. We're too late again, but there were a few witnesses. Star and I are going to question them while you three take a look around, okay?"

"Yeah. Sure."

Beast Boy sounded about as enthusiastic as Raven felt and she shot him a sympathetic smile. Wearily, she followed Beast Boy and Cyborg as they entered the bank. She would do her job, but it didn't take a psychic to predict that, once again, the criminals had left ample evidence of their presence, but none at all to indicate who they were, or where they had gone.

* * *

Raven couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten a decent night's sleep. She and the Titans had spent the last several days scouring the city for their mysterious counterparts, following tenuous leads. Each night, they would crawl into bed, exhausted, only to be awakened a few hours later by the inevitable alarm. Moments later the Titans would converge on the scene of the crime, cranky and weary, only to find their quarry had vanished into thin air. It was psychologically as well as physically wearying.

Raven looked around the crowded kitchen. Starfire was nodding off over her bowl of catsup and cornflakes, her normally sleek hair in tangled disarray. At her elbow, Cyborg absently added his ninth spoonful of sugar to his coffee. Beast Boy was at the end of the counter staring listlessly at the half-eaten stack of waffles in front of him. Raven daintily sipped her tea and silently willed her friends to eat slowly. Maybe if they stretched breakfast out until noon they could forget about their other plans for the day.

"Okay, guys. Let's get going, we've got work to do." Robin glanced at his watch and tapped his foot impatiently. Cyborg and Beast Boy groaned and Raven reluctantly slid down from her stool.

"We've got a lot of ground to cover today. Cyborg? I want you and Beast Boy to search the U district again." At Beast Boy's grunt of protest, Robin held up his hand and explained, "I know, I know you've looked there before, but I've gotten several reports of sightings near the college, and unless one of us has been robbing bookshops in our spare time …"

"What spare time?" Beast Boy muttered, but Robin ignored him.

"… okay then. Raven, you've got everything between seventh and twenty-third, and Starfire, you and I will-"

"No."

Raven stared at Starfire, one eyebrow raised, and Cyborg spun toward her so quickly he nearly fell off his stool.

"Wha—uh, what Star?"

"I said no," she repeated. Her voice took on a slightly pleading tone, but her eyes flashed determinedly, "Robin, I am sorry to disagree with you, but I am tired. I am too tired to fly around the city today and search for clues that are not there. I do not want to spend the day looking for criminals that we cannot find, and I do not think I am the only one to feel this way." Starfire looked around, seeking confirmation, and Raven found herself nodding her head automatically.

"Please, Robin," Starfire entreated. "Let us take a day off. We can spend the day in the park, perhaps later attend the cinema. I know you are tired as well, it may be that we will have more luck catching the evildoers if we have had a chance to rest."

Four pairs of eyes turned to Robin hopefully and his determination visibly faltered. "But Star! We have to … I, er … fine. Take the day off."

"Eeeee!" Starfire launched herself over the counter and knocked Robin backward into the cabinets with an enthusiastic hug. "Thank you, dear Robin! You will not regret it. Do not worry, I will make sure today will be most enjoyable for you!"

Cyborg and Beast Boy both snorted in amusement, but Raven motioned them into silence before they could spout off the inappropriate comments she could see they were just dying to make. Instead, they contented themselves with grinning knowingly and raising their eyebrows suggestively at a steadily reddening Robin.

"What are you waiting for?" Robin barked. "You wanted a day off, so go! Don't make me change my mind."

"Yessir!" the boys replied in unison. They hurried out the door, still grinning.

"Thanks, Robin," Raven said quietly as she, too, exited the room. But his attention was already focused on the girl wrapped tightly in his arms and she wasn't sure that he heard her.

* * *

Raven stretched luxuriously. She had spent the better part of the day in the park with the rest of the Titans eating burgers and playing football. Well, the others had played football, but she had agreed to referee, so as far as she was concerned it counted. Sarah had taken the day off to spend with Cyborg and had mercifully engaged Bunny in conversation for the better part of the afternoon. When the sun started skimming the tops of the trees, the party had broken off into smaller groups and everyone went their separate ways.

Raven had arrived back at the tower first and had immediately snagged the opportunity to catch up on her reading. Three chapters in Cyborg showed up, looking tired but happy. He explained that Sarah had gone into work to catch up a bit, and immediately flopped down on the sofa and flipped the television on in one practiced motion.

The two of them were sitting in companionable silence when the door slid open and Beast Boy walked in. She could feel the tension radiating from him immediately, and while Cyborg did not share her empathic abilities, he too was looking at his friend warily.

"What's up, man? Someone take your parking spot?"

Beast Boy just grumbled unintelligibly and plopped down next to Cyborg, his arms folded across his chest. Cyborg and Raven shared a concerned glance over Beast Boy's head, Raven shook her head slightly and Cyborg shrugged.

"Don't do that," Beast Boy sighed grumpily, "I hate it when you do that."

"Then maybe you could tell us what's wrong," Raven suggested dryly.

He turned to glower at her, but she returned his gaze coolly. "Hmph, fine," he conceded, "it's stupid really, but … well, it's just stupid."

"Gotcha. Stupid. Go on."

Beast Boy redirected his glare at Cyborg and continued, "_Any_way. So I took Bunny to Paulo's place, y'know?"

"That the guy we rescued from Mumbo last year?"

"That's the one."

"Great food."

"That's what I thought. So we get there and get our order and then all this stuff starts happening."

"Stuff?" Raven questioned.

"Yeah, like … you could hear people making comments. Things like, 'what's he doing here, doesn't he have a bank to rob?' and 'keep an eye on your purse, Millie,' stuff like that."

Cyborg choked back a laugh, "You shouldn't let that kind of stuff get to you, man. People are just paranoid."

"Yeah, I didn't. It was really starting to bug Bunny, though. Then someone chucked a piece of broccoli. Hit her right in the back of the head."

"I can't believe Paolo would let that happen," Cyborg interrupted indignantly.

"Nah, he was in the back," Beast Boy shrugged. "Anyway, I start to get mad, right? 'Cause I don't care what they say about me, but they shouldn't be dragging Bunny into this."

"Please tell me the restaurant's still in one piece," Raven groaned, one hand over her eyes.

"Mostly. Anyway, after I apologized to Paolo, helped him clean up a bit, I walked Bunny home. And I was feeling pretty good, too, y'know? 'Cause it felt kinda good to stand up to those jerks. I didn't hurt 'em or anything, just scared 'em a bit. Let 'em know if they have a problem, they take it up with me." He prodded his chest with his thumb proudly and Raven rolled her eyes.

"So I'm walking with Bunny and she starts going on about how she knows all of this isn't our fault, but maybe we should be laying low for a while, wait for all this to blow over. And she's telling me that she loves that I'm a superhero, but that she's been getting a lot of flack about being seen out with me, and maybe we should just stay in from now on. Only we can't go to her place because her roommate doesn't trust me, so why don't we head over to the Tower?"

Cyborg patted his shoulder consolingly, "Sorry man."

"Yeah," Beast Boy said glumly, "That's when I told her she'd better not come over, I wouldn't want her to have to suffer the embarrassment of hanging out with all of the Titans at the same time. About that time she called the cab."

Beast Boy leaned forward to rest his chin on his hands while Cyborg continued to pat his back reflexively. "I just don't get it," Beast Boy muttered miserably, "how is Sarah handling all of this?"

Cyborg pulled his hand back to drum his fingers nervously on his thigh, "Ah, she … she's been … okay. I mean, she's a little concerned, I guess, but …" he trailed off and looked at Raven pleadingly. She sighed and scooted closer to Beast Boy.

"You just need to give her time. And space. We're used to the attention, Bunny's not. And with things being rough for us, imagine how she feels." Beast Boy shrugged gloomily and Raven reached out to touch his arm comfortingly, "She'll be fine, Garfield. She knows how much you care about her; she'll remember that before long."

"I guess," Beast Boy leaned back against the back of the couch and unconsciously grasped Raven's hand as she drew it away from his elbow. She let him hold it for a moment longer before gently tugging it away. "Thanks Raven. Cy. I think … I think I'm gonna go to bed. Maybe I'll feel better about everything in the morning."

"I hope so, man. Hey, wait up. I'll follow you out."

Raven ignored the look Cyborg threw her as he exited the room and was swallowed by the darkness of the hallway. She picked up her discarded book and tried to read, but found herself unable to concentrate. She was still awake, staring off into space, several hours later when Robin and Starfire finally got in.

* * *

Raven had never gotten the hang of sleeping during the day. After yet another late night, the Titans had dragged themselves into the Tower just as the sun broke over the horizon. Without a word, they had headed for their separate rooms and some much-needed rest, but while Raven was utterly exhausted, sleep eluded her.

She gave up in disgust and headed to the common room. She listened carefully as she passed the doors to her friend's rooms, but heard nothing but steady breathing and, in some cases, light snoring. She didn't even bother stifling the pang of jealousy that shot through her. Starfire, she was sure, had fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, her hair probably fanned out around her head attractively. Robin had barely even made it to his door, certainly he had been too tired to obsess over last night's failure. Cyborg had it easy, once plugged in to his system monitor, he would sleep dreamlessly for exactly four point five hours, and Beast Boy had turned napping into an art. No, it was Raven and only Raven that was suffering from daylight induced insomnia.

In consolation, she would brew a pot of tea, curl up on the sofa with a particularly dry tome, and try to trick herself into dozing off. It hadn't worked yet, but there was a first time for everything. She had just tucked her book under her arm and was blowing across the surface of her cup when she heard someone behind her clear his throat. She hadn't heard anyone else come in and she turned around curiously. Only her years of practice controlling her emotions kept her from dropping her tea in shock.

Across the room a familiar face, magnified to enormous proportions, was gazing at her from the gigantic view screen. Raven lowered her eyebrows and glowered as the unwelcome apparition flashed a set of yellowing teeth in a predatory grin.

"How did you get access to this channel?" she asked flatly.

"Now ducky, is that any way to treat an old friend?"

"Old, yes. Friend, no. We sent you to jail last year." Raven pointed out evenly.

Mad Mod's grin slipped slightly and his voice took on a wheedling tone, "But I'm reformed! I've turned over a new leaf. Surely you've heard?"

Raven sighed and rolled her eyes, "Heard what?"

The Englishman's expression fell completely, "I've issued statements, love. I held a press conference." At Raven's blank look he added with exasperation, "It was all over the telly!"

"Sorry," Raven shrugged disinterestedly, "we've been busy."

"You—ah, right. I should have thought of that." He paused to collect his thoughts before pressing on, "No matter. The point is, I'm a legitimate businessman now. I'm firmly on the right side of the law. You can ask anyone."

"Okay," Raven said slowly, clearly, "so what?"

"So what? So I'm prepared to offer you my assistance," Mad Mod replied dramatically. "I understand you lot are in a spot of trouble and I believe I can help."

"I doubt it, but let's hear it."

"If you five will agree to join forces with me I will place my considerable resources at your disposal."

"Mmm hmm. Why?"

Raven's lack of interest seemed to deflate him and he stuttered slightly, "I—I've gone soft, I mean … reformed! I've reformed and now I want to rid the city of this damnable criminal element. One thing I learned in prison is that society needs order to function properly. I've decided to devote my energies toward that end."

"You realize I don't believe you, don't you?" Raven replied offhandedly.

"Bloody hell, woman!" he exploded, then inhaled deeply as he struggled to control himself. He spoke again in a calmer tone, "I've already explained that I'm on your side now, it would be foolish not to take advantage of my offer. If you'd just agree to meet with me at my office I'm sure we could work something out. I only want to help, just think of me as one of you."

"But you're not one of us," Raven pointed out, "and I don't trust you. If you have information I'd love to hear it, but the Titans don't work with criminals."

"Listen, love …"

"Don't call me 'love.' Unless you have information to share I think we're done here."

Raven reached out and flicked a button on the remote control. Instantly Mad Mod, his face faintly purple with frustration, disappeared. Raven took a sip of her tea, now cold, and made a face. She considered waking Robin to fill him in on what was sure to be a trying development, but opted to let him sleep for a while longer. She walked back into the kitchen, dumped the contents of her teacup down the drain, and started brewing a new pot.

* * *

"It seems a little odd," Robin frowned, "since when did Mad Mod care about following any rules except his own?" Rather than reply, Raven waved a quick warning at the Boy Wonder who barely glanced at the bolt of electricity that seared past him as he vaulted out of the way.

"Yeah, but that guy's got weird written all over him. You get the impression he was legit?" Cyborg casually fired off a laser blast before turning inquiringly toward Raven.

The girl in question shrugged and, with a flick of her wrist, dropped the chunk of pavement she had been levitating. For a moment there was silence, then the air crackled and Overload heaved the concrete aside.

"Overload not harmed! Overload stronger than puny humans!" Raven rolled her eyes and chucked another boulder at the monster.

Now that they knew his weakness, Overload barely even registered as a threat. Raven wasn't sure why he still bothered to attack the city, his little rampages always ended the same way, but for once she was glad he had. By unspoken but mutual agreement, the Titans merely toyed with the villain, using him as a welcome release for their pent up frustration. A stray thought flitted through her head to suggest that pummeling Overload was hardly an approved method of therapy, but she dismissed it. Mental health issues notwithstanding, Overload deserved what he got.

Starfire whizzed past Raven, energetically flinging starbolts. The alien girl was moving quickly, but Raven was sure she'd caught an expression of glee on her friend's face. A quick glance around confirmed that the rest of the Titans, rather than breaking a sweat, looked more at ease than they had for the past two weeks.

As if fate had sensed Raven's contentment and was determined to intervene, the Titan's communicators started beeping warningly. The Titans groaned in aggravation and Raven exchanged a despairing glance with Robin. The boy cleared his throat warningly, "Okay, that's enough everybody. Time to pack it up."

At his signal, Raven unearthed a water main, angling it at the monster. Across the street Cyborg was displacing a fire hydrant, a few yards to the left Beast Boy had morphed into an elephant and was sucking the water that had puddled on the street into his trunk.

With water deluging him from every direction, Overload fizzled and popped before collapsing into himself completely.

"Good work team." Robin glanced at his communicator and sighed, "Looks like we've got a double robbery on ninth and Washington."

"Our look-alikes?" Starfire questioned.

Robin smiled grimly, "What else? We'd better hurry."

"Why bother?" Beast Boy grumbled, "They'll be gone when we get there."

"I know," Robin snapped, "But no one will ever believe we're innocent if we stop showing up."

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

One good thing about the nightly robberies, probably the only one, was that Robin had opted to postpone mandatory training practices for the foreseeable future. Instead he was encouraging his team to rest up so as to be alert for the evening's activities. Raven had failed utterly at all attempts to catch up on sleep, but she had convinced herself that spending a few extra hours in meditation was as good as a nap. Almost.

Despite Cyborg and Starfire's presence, she was meditating in relative peace in a quiet corner of the common room. She was aware of their movements, but appreciated their obvious attempt to speak in hushed tones and keep the volume on the television turned low.

The other members of the team had started to recognize her inability to sleep the morning away like the rest of them did. "Why don't you take a night off, get some rest?" Cyborg had suggested, but Raven had pointed out that nobody else was taking a break so she wouldn't either.

As if to compensate, her friends had made a huge effort to let her meditate uninterrupted, even when she spent several hours longer than usual. To save them the trouble she had spent a few days meditating in her room or, on clearer days, the roof. To her surprise, however, she found she missed the activity of the common room and had resumed meditation in her usual corner, figuring that the minor distraction of chatter was a small price to pay for the peace she felt at being surrounded by her friends.

She heard the door slide open and felt, rather than saw, Beast Boy enter the room. Beaming happily he sauntered up to Cyborg and punched him affectionately on the shoulder. Cyborg looked mildly surprised.

"You're home early."

"Disappointed? You'll cheer up when you see the surprise I have for you."

"Oh yeah? …What?" Cyborg sounded suspicious and Raven couldn't blame him. Beast Boy's idea of a surprise could be anything from an unexpected treat to an elaborate practical joke.

Beast Boy shrugged carelessly, "Fine, if you're gonna be like that I'll just tell her to go home …" but Cyborg had already crossed the room. When the door slid open again, Sarah flew through it and flung her arms around Cyborg's neck.

"I missed you!"

"Man, am I glad to see you! How was the seminar?"

Sarah waved a hand dismissively, "Pfft, so boring. Next time I'll skip it."

"Sure," Cyborg laughed, "You said that last time. And the time before that."

"And the time before that," Sarah grinned. "I know. I suck."

She tore herself away from Cyborg to wave a cheery greeting to Raven and Starfire and then, arm in arm, Cyborg and Sarah crossed the room to the sofa, chattering animatedly. Starfire danced over to offer Sarah a bite of her latest concoction and Sarah accepted gracefully. Raven could hardly fault her for the horrified face she pulled once Starfire's back was turned.

Raven watched the happy couple for a moment longer before half-heartedly returning to her meditation. There was a time she would have left the room out of respect for their privacy, but she didn't bother anymore. Cyborg had shown neither Robin's guarded secrecy nor Beast Boy's overenthusiastic affection when it came to his relationship with Sarah. Instead the two of them treated each other as very good, very dear friends and while Raven had expected to be terribly uncomfortable around them, she had found the opposite to be true.

"So, how's the investigation going?" Sarah questioned curiously.

"What? Oh … fine."

"Vic … what's wrong?"

Cyborg didn't answer immediately and Raven abandoned her concentration to witness her friend's response. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Starfire and Beast Boy listening intently from the kitchen.

Cyborg sighed and reached out for Sarah's hands. "It's not good, we can't seem to catch the guys. Half the people in town think _we're_ the bad guys. We're all over the news, we're getting all kinds of hate mail, maybe …" he glanced toward the kitchen and lowered his voice, "Maybe it'd be better if we didn't see each other. Just for awhile, 'til this whole thing blows over."

Sarah snorted, "You think dumping me will make your problems go away? Nothing doing, Victor."

"No, I just thought—"

"I know what you thought. You're being stupid. I don't care what the papers say about you, I'll leave when I'm bored with you and not a minute before."

The relief Raven felt from Cyborg was overshadowed by the pained unhappiness radiating from the green boy in the kitchen. He was standing very still, a spoon clenched tightly in his hand, his face a blank. Perhaps he was reacting to nothing more than the bite of pudding he had just eaten, but somehow Raven doubted it.

* * *

"Arghh! This is the third call in a row." Robin scowled unhappily then sighed, "Okay, we're going to have to split up again."

During the past few days the Titans had spent more time apart than together. The increased volume of nightly crime had made it necessary to split off, often into groups of two and three, occasionally each had gone solo. Robin had been hesitant to do so at first, he jealously guarded his team's safety, but as they had yet to even catch sight of their quarry, much less engage them, separating seemed not only safe, but highly efficient.

"Vic, you and Gar take the electronics store on fifth. Star and I will hit the bank around the corner. Raven? You okay on your own again?" Raven shrugged unconcernedly, "Great, you check out the gas station on eighteenth and Jackson." Their assignments clear, the Titans shot off in separate directions without another word.

Raven glided over the rooftops toward her destination feeling unusually hopeful. Perhaps on her own she would discover something useful. Floating through the air she could move silently, she might be able to sneak up on the perpetrators. Also, and she hesitated to think it, she would stand a better chance of learning about the criminals if the other Titans weren't around. The team, as a whole, broadcasted too many emotions for Raven to filter out, but now that she was alone she had a chance to sense the enemy before they knew she was near.

She arrived at the gas station, peering down into the darkened street below her. Everything was dark, the alarm had almost certainly been disabled. She watched carefully for a moment but couldn't detect any motion. Silently she descended, her feet touching the ground softly.

It looked as though someone had been helping themselves to the fuel; several nozzles were lying on the ground as if they had been abandoned hurriedly. Raven suppressed a snort of disgust. This wasn't the work of a master criminal; this was petty theft at its finest.

She glanced around and her eyes fell on the attendants' station, might as well do a thorough job of it. She poked her head inside the booth. Nothing looked out of place, but as Raven had never worked in a gas station she thought it unlikely that she would notice if something was. She took one final look around, and then froze. Something was behind her, she could sense it. It wasn't emotion that had clued her in, she couldn't sense any emotions except her own sudden alarm, but something was looming behind her nonetheless.

Hoping to take whatever it was by surprise, she whirled around and leapt to the side, her hands ablaze in dark energy. Her eyes widened in surprise and she raised an arm defensively just as Starfire's fist slammed into her jaw. Raven crashed into the booth behind her and crumpled to the ground.

* * *

She blinked her eyes to clear her clouded vision and moved her jaw experimentally. She didn't think it was broken, but even if it was she wouldn't take the time to heal it now. She gazed warily up at her attacker, tensing herself to dodge at the first sign of a renewed assault.

This … thing … in front of her wasn't really Starfire, of course, she'd realized that immediately. The girl was standing motionless over Raven, almost as though she were carved out of stone. Even her face was stony; lovely and impossibly flawless but utterly expressionless.

But the worst part was the eyes. Raven had never before considered that so much of what made Starfire herself, her warmth and vivacity, was readily evident in her eyes. It was eerie seeing Starfire stare back at her through cold, dead eyes and Raven shuddered.

There were a few other differences, Raven gradually realized. One was a walnut sized sphere dangling from the girl's neck on a slender silver chain. It was metallic, obviously manmade, and emitted a soft, barely perceptible glow.

The other foreign item Raven mistook, at first, for a wristwatch. Closer scrutiny revealed that the item wasn't a watch at all, where the face would have been were a row of buttons and a tiny light that was blinking regularly. It occurred to Raven that the device must be some sort of communicator, probably sending out a homing signal … she froze. The being standing in front of her was in no hurry to either fight or depart, she must be summoning friends. It was time for Raven to leave.

Thus far Raven had remained where she had fallen, content to study her opponent and follow her lead. Now, though, it was time to get back to the others. She considered simply teleporting back to the Tower, it would be, by far, the safest option, but she hated returning empty handed. She might not get another chance to confront one of the mysterious entities and she couldn't let this one go to waste.

Her mind made up, Raven swiftly dove to her left, rolling to her feet out of reach of her attacker. The red-head turned to swing at her again, but Raven was already gone, levitating several feet above the girl's head.

"I really hope you can't fly," Raven muttered testily, her hands engulfed in black flame. The pseudo-Starfire didn't reply as she stared blankly up at Raven, her arms still at her sides.

"I guess that means no."

Raven shot off a preliminary blast of energy, carefully gauging her opponent's reaction. The girl was pushed back several yards and would have lost her footing if she hadn't come to rest against a gasoline pump. She raised an arm and was suddenly brandishing what looked like a gun.

"Okay, I know Kory doesn't carry one of those ..." Raven wheeled to the right as Starfire pulled the trigger. She narrowly avoided the laser blast that shot past her and hit the streetlight behind her. Quickly, she levitated a nearby mailbox and hurled it at the girl.

Starfire didn't even flinch, she continued to stride purposefully toward Raven, firing her laser gun as she approached. Raven blocked her with an energy shield, then, with a flick of her wrist, flung a handy station wagon at her attacker. There was a terrible crunch as the car hit the girl full in the chest, then silence. Raven felt distinctly uneasy as she landed and crept around the crumpled vehicle.

"Oh …"

She was going to be sick, she knew it. The impact had crushed the other girl into the concrete and her neck was crooked at an impossible angle. Raven fought down a wave of nausea and hastened to lift the car off her enemy. She needed to call the others, they would want to know, but she wasn't sure how to confess what she'd done. Maybe if she … her eyes widened in terror and she stumbled backward. Starfire was moving.

"Stop! Don't move! I'll get help." The green-eyed girl ignored Raven. Her neck still at a bizarre angle, she struggled to rise but was having trouble managing it. Apparently realizing her efforts were futile, the girl sank back down to the ground and aimed her gun once more at Raven. That was when Raven saw the gash in her arm.

It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing. It wasn't blood spilling out of the wound, but a mass of multi-colored wires; the girl was a robot. Raven felt relief wash over her and didn't feel guilty at all when she dropped the car on Starfire for the second time.

This time the robot twitched spasmodically for a few seconds before coming to rest. The green light in its eyes flickered and died, with any luck Raven had put it out of commission for good. Hurriedly Raven tore the communicator off the robot-girl's wrist and smashed it on the pavement. That might buy her some time. As an afterthought she reached out and removed the glowing orb from around the girl's neck, snapping the silver chain with a jerk.

She was still crouched beside the robot when she felt a new presence behind her. She stiffened in readiness, but a hand touched her shoulder and she sighed in relief.

"I'm glad it's just you," she admitted as she turned to face Robin. He nodded tightly, his expression grim. The others were standing behind him in various states of dishevelment.

"Geez, Raven. Have some issues you needed to work out?" Beast Boy quipped.

"It's not what it looks like. It turns out our doubles are just—"

"Robots," Cyborg finished for her. He waved around what could have been one of his own arms if he hadn't already had both of them intact. "We know. We've met."

* * *

Cyborg was anxious to study it further, so they transported the Starfire robot back to the Tower. Except for the arm from the Cyborg robot, the robots that had simultaneously attacked the Titans had escaped, but Raven's opponent had remained mostly intact. She also handed over the glowing orb and Cyborg's eyes had lit up.

"I saw one of these on that other guy, did you notice what it was for?"

Raven shook her head but Cyborg only shrugged, "We'll figure it out. I think we're about to have a breakthrough. Good work, girl."

The next few days were hectic, trying to track down the robots kept them so busy that Cyborg couldn't find time to research their discovery. Finally, Robin insisted he stay behind while the others patrolled. "It's our best lead, Vic. And you're the guy to follow up on it."

The following day, Cyborg called them into his workshop to discuss his findings. "They're sturdy," he reported, rapping his knuckles on the robot's torso, "strong. But that's about it. They don't seem to have any special skills."

"So, no laser cannons?" Beast Boy questioned, peering at the replica of Cyborg's arm lying on a nearby table.

"Nope. The similarities to us are just superficial. They look like us, but they can't move like us."

"How have they been avoiding us for so long?" Robin frowned. "If they don't have any real power we should have caught up with them long before this."

"Ah, that's the interesting part," Cyborg grinned, "Check this out." He picked up the orb that Raven had retrieved and held it gently in his hand. As he closed his fist lightly around it, the orb appeared to glow more brightly before finally disappearing behind Cyborg's closed fingers.

Cyborg's fingers also disappeared.

So did the rest of Cyborg.

Starfire gasped and Beast Boy yelled in surprise. It was an odd sensation, Raven could detect Cyborg's presence, she could clearly follow his amusement as it crossed the room, but she could neither see nor hear him. She turned her head to follow his progress and was the only Titan looking at him when he reappeared. The others were still staring at the space from which he'd disappeared.

"Pretty neat, huh?"

Robin, Starfire and Beast Boy whirled around at the sound of Cyborg's voice.

"Dude, how did you … I never even heard you move!"

"I know. This little baby makes the user silent and invisible. Virtually undetectable."

"Unless you're an empath," Raven reminded him.

"Unless you're Raven," Cyborg agreed. "And even she wouldn't be able to sense a robot using one of these."

Robin was impatient for more information, "So how does it work?"

"Nearest I can figure, it distorts the sound and light waves in your immediate vicinity. Just hide it in your fist and, boom! Instant camouflage."

"Good work. That explains how they've been getting away," Robin started to pace, "but it still doesn't explain why. Or where they come from. Or who built them."

"Not yet, but I may be able to help with the 'where,'" Cyborg informed him, "The communications device was pretty smashed up, but if I can rebuild it, maybe I can track the signal."

"Good thinking," Robin nodded, "I'm gonna ask you to get started on that as soon as possible."

"One thing still bothers me," Raven mused, "If they can escape whenever they need to, why didn't they? It would've been easy," she blushed, "I didn't even know mine was there until it hit me."

"I've been wondering about that, too," Robin agreed. "They obviously wanted to get us alone. I think they've been wearing us down for weeks, forcing us to finally split up. The attack was all part of the plan."

"Great," Beast Boy grumbled, "the invisible robots are hunting _us_ now."

* * *

Catching sight of the robots was no longer a problem, suddenly they were everywhere. It didn't matter if it was broad daylight or under cover of darkness, the robots taunted the Titans from every side. Raven lost count of the number of times they had spotted one, often in the midst of some kind of mischief, but had lost sight of it as they approached. With no sound or sight to follow, the only way to capture them was to accidentally stumble into them.

They hadn't yet posed another threat to the Titans themselves. Robin, once again erring on the side of caution, refused to split the team up again, and the robots had not renewed an attack on the Titans.

The burglaries, however, had increased. The Titans were being run ragged and Raven suspected that Robin would have washed his hands of the whole situation if their reputations hadn't been on the line.

A breakthrough happened a few days later when Cyborg, having successfully reassembled the communicator, was able to trace the source of the signal to the pier. This still left a wide territory to cover and, try as he might, Cyborg couldn't pinpoint it more accurately. Everyone became considerably grumpier as they divided their time between combing the waterfront and responding to distress calls, catching a few hours of sleep whenever they could manage it.

"You have to improve your reaction time," Robin snapped at Beast Boy during one of their few hours in the Tower. "If you'd just been a little quicker we might have had that one." Robin firmly believed that most of their problems could be solved if they could only catch a functioning robot. Raven thought he probably had a point.

"Really? Your athletic abilities weren't exactly impressing me either, Wonder Boy," Beast Boy sneered.

"C'mon guys, cut it out," Cyborg soothed, "you're both just tired."

"Maybe, but only one of us is undisciplined," Robin insisted.

Raven sighed and Cyborg's face hardened. "I don't have the energy for this, I'm going to bed." Without another word, the cybernetic stumped out of the room leaving Robin and Beast Boy to glare at each other unhindered.

"Please, do not argue with each other. Cyborg was correct, we are all tired."

"Stay out of it, Star. This is between Gar and I."

The exhaustion had obviously taken its toll on Starfire; the alien girl's face crumpled and her eyes started leaking tears. She wept silently for a moment, then Beast Boy realized what was happening and, forgetting the argument, gestured at Robin to turn around.

"Wha—Star? Starfire, why are you …? Don't cry." Robin hurried over to her and swiftly gathered the girl into his arms.

"I do not … wish for us … to fight," she sobbed into his shoulder, "Things are … horrible enough … as it is."

"Shh, shh. I know, I'm sorry. You're right. Don't cry."

Starfire, clinging to him desperately, shuddered uncontrollably. "Hey, c'mon Star. Star. We're gonna be fine." He lifted her chin gently with his knuckle and smiled softly into the girl's teary face. Starfire choked back a final sob and leaned forward to press her lips against his.

Raven, flushing, turned her head away and met Beast Boy's uncomfortable gaze. They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, then Beast Boy grinned ruefully and jerked his head toward the door. Raven nodded, relieved, and hurried after him into the safety of the corridor beyond.

* * *

Raven was awakened from the best sleep she'd had in days when Starfire's shriek echoed through the Tower. She hurriedly snatched up her cloak and sped toward the common room, halting just inside. Seconds later, Beast Boy and Cyborg skidded through the doorway at top speed and crashed into her; they hit the floor in a heap. Robin, the last to arrive, leapt nimbly over them as Raven struggled to disentangle herself from the pile of arms and legs that had buried her.

"Star!"

Starfire bit her lip guiltily and pointed to the other end of the room. "I am sorry to have frightened you, it is only that his arrival was most unexpected." Mad Mod's wrinkled face stared out at them from the giant television screen, a contemptuous smirk on his lips.

"Well, you're an unpleasant lot, but you do make quite the entertaining entrance."

Raven accepted Cyborg's proffered hand and climbed to her feet with as much dignity as she could muster. Robin drew Starfire toward him in a protective one-armed embrace and glared at the unwelcome visitor, "What do you want now, Mod?"

The older man feigned offense, "Why, the same thing I wanted last time, of course. To help."

"Raven already turned you down. Why are you really here?"

"I assumed," Mad Mod sniffed, "that you would have realized by now that you need my help. You aren't exactly doing a bang-up job, you know."

Robin narrowed his eyes, "You know something. What?"

Mad Mod waved his hand, "Oh, nothing much. Nothing of any real importance. I'm really just here to offer you the use of my considerable resources."

"Right," Beast Boy broke in suspiciously, "What's in it for you?"

"Just the pleasure of having done a good deed, my dear boy."

"Well, it doesn't matter," Robin said briskly, "we're not working with you and that's final. If you've really turned over a new leaf, tell us what you know and let us do our job. Otherwise, get out."

An ugly expression crossed Mad Mod's face and he sneered, "I choose option C. If you don't care to assist me, I'll just have to clean up this city on my own. I don't need your help, I was doing you a favor. You'll be sorry you ever refused my generous offer!"

Mad Mod's maniacal laughter was abruptly cut off when Cyborg shut the television off. "He's a freak," he observed, "but the guy knows something."

"Or he wants us to think that he does," Robin amended, "but I can't figure out why."

"Should we track him down?"

"He served his time, and he's been pretty quiet since he was released," Robin reminded them thoughtfully, "I don't think we can take him in until we have something to go on. Let's just keep our eyes open, okay?"

The others nodded their reluctant agreement and Robin added, "And let's get some breakfast. I'm starving."

* * *

'_-as the city enjoys its fourth consecutive day without an attack by previously alleged 'fake' Titans. Former criminal turned model citizen, Mad Mod, who just five days ago had publicly declared his intention to end this crime wave had this to say:'_

'_It was really just a matter of reasoning with Robin and the rest. Even the best men can buckle under pressure, and I'm afraid that that was what happened here. The Titans have promised not to cause any more harm, but I say the city leaders should kick them out of that fortress they're hiding out in. It's not that the Titans are a bad-hearted, they just couldn't handle the enormous amount of power that has been handed to them.'_

'_Local law enforcement declined to comment on the issue, but citizens are already lobbying at city hall for the Titans' removal.'_

Raven stood with the rest of the Titans, gazing at the news broadcast in open-mouthed shock. On one side of her, Cyborg ground his teeth furiously, on the other, Beast Boy struggled to express his confusion, "I … I … he … we … what?"

"But … that is completely not true!" Starfire cried, "How can such lies be reported as if they were truth?"

"That settles it," Robin ground out, "he's definitely behind the robots. Of course he got them to stop, he started them!"

"We're not gonna let him get away with this!" Cyborg ranted.

"No, we are not!" Starfire agreed, "We must find him and make him report the truth."

"I'd settle for stopping him from lying about us," Robin decided, "I don't think you can make a dirt bag like that tell the truth."

The phone rang then, and Robin gestured for quiet. When he hung up a moment later he looked grim, but determined.

"That was the chief of police, he was watching the report. He says he'd rather take our word over an ex-criminal's, and he agrees that the robot is still pretty solid evidence in our favor. He's just worried that, without public support, he can't convince the mayor not to take action against us."

"Some gratitude!" Beast Boy burst out, "we've been keeping this city safe for years! If that's the kind of thanks we get, I don't know why we'd _want_ to stick around."

"They're just scared," Raven soothed, "Most of them feel threatened by us even during the best of times. If we can prove Mad Mod's behind this they'll start to trust us again."

"That's true," Robin agreed, "I should have made him a priority when we first suspected him."

"You couldn't have known he'd pull something like this," Cyborg sighed, "none of us thought he'd sink that low."

"Maybe not, but we know now. And we're gonna make him pay."

* * *

"Uh, guys? Guess who just interrupted my favorite show," Beast Boy's annoyed voice crackled in Raven's communicator. Nobody bothered to ask who he meant, but thirty seconds later the entire team was glaring heatedly at Mad Mod's image on their view screen.

"You've got a lot of nerve, y'know," Cyborg snapped, but the Brit just grinned carelessly.

"Oh my poor, pitiful moppets. You really should have taken me up on my offer when you had the chance, we could all have been heroes. Very shortsighted of you."

"You are not a hero," Starfire spat out, "you are a liar!"

"Possibly, but your little city loves me. How are they feeling about you lot, these days? Oh, that's right … they've asked you to leave. Too bad, really."

"Are you here for a reason, or are you just trying to piss me off?" Robin snarled.

"Well, as you no doubt realize by now, refusing to assist me was a catastrophic mistake. I regret that you had to learn the hard way, but it really was your own fault. I trust you won't be refusing my new offer."

"Don't bet on it," Robin retorted, "we've already told you we don't make deals with criminals."

"And yet, I think you'll come to see things my way. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Two of them, to be exact." Mad Mod's hand shot forward and wrenched the camera to the side to reveal two seated figures. The picture slowly focused, and when it did, Starfire and Cyborg gasped in horror.

The Titans could clearly see two girls, one tall and dark, one short and blonde, gagged and tied to their chairs. "I believe you are familiar with my new guests?" Mad Mod's voice mocked from off camera. Sarah and Bunny just blinked tearfully, their eyes pleading and terrified. There was no doubt in Raven's mind that the two girls were human, not robots; those eyes gave it away.

Raven tore her gaze away from the screen and glanced at her friends. Robin's jaw was clenched dangerously and, for the briefest of moments, Raven almost felt sorry for Mad Mod. Starfire had grasped Cyborg's arm, and it wasn't clear if she was holding him up, or if it was the other way around. Beast Boy just looked confused. Lost.

The camera settled on Mad Mod's features once more and he flashed a yellowing grin. "Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business, shall we?" He waited for an answer, but when none came he carried on blithely, "Understand, now, that I would have preferred to have you work with me voluntarily. I could have explained everything to your satisfaction, but I can see that the time for that has passed. What it boils down to, then, is that I need one of you, preferably one of the lovely ladies, to surrender to me."

At this declaration the boys broke out in violent protest, shouting and swearing so fiercely at Mad Mod that they were practically unintelligible. Raven and Starfire simply exchanged a contemplative, measuring look.

"Now, now. None of that. You may not like it, but it has to be done," his voice softened slightly and he included both Raven and Starfire in his gaze, "Don't worry your pretty little heads about it. I don't plan to hurt you. Much. But I really must insist."

"You son of a–! If you think we're just going to–!"

"Foolish boy, you didn't let me finish. Either do what I ask, or these charming young ladies," here he gestured toward Sarah and Bunny, "will suffer the consequences." Cyborg moaned softly as the villain continued, "I'm really offering you a splendid deal: two girls for the price of one. You'd be foolish to pass it up."

Robin looked around as if to gauge the general consensus, but Raven knew the decision had already been made. Not that they had a choice in the first place. They didn't necessarily have to play Mad Mod's game, but they had to make him think they were playing it. Robin turned back to the screen and ground out through gritted teeth, "Where do we meet you?"

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"I think that's our best shot," Robin finished. He had just outlined his plan to rescue the girls and take down Mad Mod. It was sketchy at best, Raven would have liked a few more details, but the only solid information they had was the general location of Mad Mod's 'office' and the fact that he had a handful of Titan robots at his disposal. Everything else was based on guesswork, but if anyone could make an accurate deduction, it was Robin.

"The important thing is not to meet his demands unless it's absolutely necessary. And if it comes down to it, I want to be the one to go."

"He asked for Raven or Starfire," Cyborg pointed out dully.

"He said he'd prefer Raven or Starfire," Robin corrected. "I don't really give a damn what he'd prefer."

Raven glanced over at Beast Boy, he was still sporting the same odd expression he'd had ever since they'd rung off with Mad Mod. She could feel his confusion, his concern and, buried underneath, a touch of amusement that made Raven suspect he was slightly hysterical with worry. She leaned over to pat his clenched hand.

"She'll be okay," Raven whispered softly, "we'll get her back."

Beast Boy glanced down at her hand on his, then looked up at her quizzically. "I know, it's just …" he paused uncertainly and shook his head, "… nothing." He looked as though he had something more he'd like to say, but he shook his head again and drew his hand away.

"Everyone clear? Anyone have anything they want to add?" Raven vaguely heard Robin ask.

"Just one thing," Beast Boy spoke up. "I call shotgun."

Robin glared, but Raven noticed a ghost of a grin on Cyborg's face. "Mad Mod gave us until five o'clock to make the switch," Robin reminded them, "let's make the next two hours count."

* * *

Beast Boy scratched his head, "You'd think we would have noticed this."

They were standing in front of a gigantic warehouse on the waterfront. Polished steel and glass gleamed in the morning sun, but what was immediately noticeable was that the building was shaped like a giant 'M.'

"This guy needs some ideas of his own," Cyborg muttered.

"Good thing I have one, then," Mad Mod's voice boomed gleefully from speakers mounted on the outside of the building. The Titans glanced around cautiously, but the villain was nowhere to be seen. "That's why you're here, after all. Now, who's the lucky volunteer?"

Robin stepped forward and addressed the blank windows looming above them. "You don't get it, Mod. We're not here to make a deal, we're here to take you down."

"You can try," the loudspeakers replied casually, "but I think you'll come to see things my way." Instantly the double doors facing them burst open and figure after brightly garbed figure filed out. Dozens and dozens of robotic Titans spread out and positioned themselves around the building, their clothing identical to their human counterparts, but their faces eerily devoid of expression. Most of them appeared to be unarmed, but then they didn't need to be if Mad Mod was counting on their superior numbers to subdue the Titans. Raven supposed he didn't want to run the risk of damaging herself or her friends before he had gotten what he needed from them.

"There's a whole army here," Cyborg breathed in open-mouthed awe, "our boy's been busy."

"What do you hope to accomplish?" Starfire shrieked at the looming building, "You say you are finished with doing evil, and yet you steal our identities and kidnap our friends! You are not good at all!" Robin laid a comforting hand on her arm.

"I'm truly hurt," Mad Mod's voice filled the air once again, "You've wounded me, ducky. Of course I want to wipe out villainy, but I need one of you to help me with my plan. In the long run, we're on the same side, why can't you just cooperate?"

"You are not on our side! You cannot do good at the cost of my life or the life of one of my friends. That is plainly wrong! We will never agree to your demands!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, love," Mad Mod sighed sadly, "I guess _they'll_ just have to convince you." At his implied command, the entire force of defenders advanced on the Titans. "Remember, now, you've only got until five o'clock. Ta!"

"I didn't think there'd be so many of them," Robin admitted, speaking quickly, "You still think we can take them?

"I don't know," Cyborg scowled fiercely, "but Sarah's still in there. We've gotta try."

"Yeah, well, you take the two dozen on the left …" Beast Boy suggested flippantly before morphing into a tiger, his teeth bared in a snarl.

"Down, boy," Raven rested her hand on the tiger's raised hackles, "we need a new plan."

Robin shook his head decisively, "There's no time for that now, we'll have to play it by ear. Let's just take these guys down."

Raven shrugged and flipped her hood up. She wouldn't argue with Robin in front of the others. As one, she and Starfire rose into the air and both girls' eyes started to glow. Mad Mod's army stood rigid, waiting, and for a brief moment the silence was broken only by the sound of Cyborg powering up his sonic cannon.

Raven tensed, awaiting the signal.

"Titans, go!" Robin yelled, and all hell broke loose.

* * *

"This isn't working," Cyborg bellowed, his cannon blasting a wide swath through his opponents, "there're too many of them!"

"They do not seem to be very dangerous," Starfire observed.

"Maybe not, but they're strong and tough." The robots Cyborg had blasted backward were already rising from the ground, a bit worse for the wear, but still able to join the determined assault on the Titans.

"I think we're gonna have to break them all apart," Beast Boy added, shifting back to his human form briefly before changing into a rhinoceros and charging a cluster of Robins.

Raven dropped a heavy shipping crate on a trio of robots. The crate shuddered, then shattered into pieces as the robots struggled to free themselves. Raven watched two dented Beast Boys rise from the debris and felt a faint sense of horror at the crushed and mangled Starfire lying twitching on the ground between them. The green robots rejoined the attack, but the third did not rise again.

"Good job, Raven," Robin called, though his voice was oddly strained. Raven nodded in acknowledgement.

The pseudo-Titans weren't quick or especially skilled, but they were sturdy. Wave upon wave of robots moved forward to attack the Titans only to be thrown back. Sometimes a particularly violent blow would incapacitate one, but most of them simply rose from where they had fallen and lumbered forward to rejoin the relentless attack. It was all Raven and the others could do to keep from being swallowed by the mob. Their attempt to reach the warehouse door had been entirely unsuccessful.

An enemy hand snatched at Raven's cloak and jerked on it, yanking her to the ground painfully. She sprang to her feet and whirled around just in time to be knocked to the ground again by a green kangaroo aiming for the group of robotic Ravens behind her.

Her breath escaped in a gasp and the kangaroo was instantly replaced with a contrite Beast Boy. He reached down to grab her arm, pulling her to her feet, "Sorry, Raven. I couldn't tell which one was you."

She didn't have time for a retort; instead she leaned around him to aim a blast of energy at the approaching mob she had glimpsed over his shoulder. Beast Boy shifted back into a kangaroo and bounded away.

"Yo, Rob! We're not getting anywhere," Cyborg called out in frustration.

"Just keep fighting, we're wearing them down!"

Raven didn't think so, somehow. Certainly most of the Titan-bots were sporting dents, some were even missing limbs, but she could tell that the Titans themselves would break down before the robots would.

"This is pointless," she growled, shaking off the grasping hand of an attacking Cyborg, "We don't have time for this, we'll have to play along. I'm surrendering."

Instantly the robots attacking her fell back and a clear path opened up between Raven and the door of the warehouse. Raven paused in surprise, but collected herself and began striding purposefully toward the warehouse. Behind her, the robots again closed ranks to present a united front.

"Don't be stupid, Raven!" Cyborg warned, "We can still do this our way!"

"No we can't," she snapped back, "We're running out of time. Look, someone has to go. I think it should be me."

"You do, huh?" Beast Boy regained his human form and began pummeling robots with his fists, "What, we don't even get a vote? I think I should be the one to go!"

"Or me," Cyborg insisted, "It is my girlfriend in there."

"Yes, it is," Raven retorted impatiently, "Which is why I'm going. Consider it a gift."

"No one's going," Robin was stern. He had fought his way toward her and, while the robots held him back, was determined to catch her eye. "Raven, I want you to stay where you are."

Raven met his gaze and her voice softened, "I'm sorry, Richard. I don't want to argue, but I'm doing this." She had reached the entrance to the warehouse, the door now opened invitingly. Starfire had managed to shake off her attackers and had zoomed forward in time to meet her at the door. The red-head grasped her arm firmly, her green eyes flashing.

"No," Starfire said fiercely.

"Don't do it, Raven," Beast Boy's voice reached her, although the boy himself had disappeared under a horde of robots, "Don't let that freak get his hands on you!"

Raven smiled sadly and, as gently as possible, removed Starfire's hand from her arm just as a group of robots arrived to pull the alien girl back into the fray. "I think I can handle one crazy old man." She turned on her heel and resolutely stepped out of the sunlight and into the blackness of the building. The door clanged shut behind her and she was in total darkness.

* * *

It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the gloom of the warehouse interior. She could still sense her friend's cold anger as they battled the robots on the other side of the door. From somewhere above her wafted the bitter taste of fear, and only a few paces ahead of her Mad Mod himself stood full of triumphant glee.

"I'm here. You win," Raven said sourly, "Now tell your robots to leave my friends alone."

"Oh, no," Mad Mod chuckled mirthlessly, "I can't risk your friends trying to rescue you. Not to worry, love. I'll call them off when you and I have concluded our business together."

"I'm warning you. We had a deal."

"Yes we did, for the two girls upstairs. I never agreed to let your little teammates off the hook. I can't help that you lot are terrible at negotiation," he added blithely.

Raven snorted impatiently, "Fine. Just let the girls go so we can get on with this."

"Not quite, love. There'll be time for that when we're done. Now, don't worry. I have no use for your friends' little girlfriends; no reason to want them harmed. Rest assured I will release them once you have cooperated with me fully."

Raven folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes. "I don't think so. I'll give you one last chance, and then I'm tearing this place apart."

Mad Mod sighed sadly, "I was afraid you'd say something like that. It would have been so much more pleasant if you had just cooperated." He crooked a finger toward the dark shadows surrounding Raven and instantly two robots materialized. Raven started, but allowed herself to be grasped by the arms. She could still escape if she needed to, there was no reason she couldn't find out more about Mad Mod's plan first.

"If you'd be so good as to follow me," Mad Mod said mockingly with an elaborate bow. Raven let herself be led to the other end of the warehouse and up a rickety flight of stairs; once at the top, the robots steered her down a long, badly lit corridor. Raven briefly noted that the feelings of fear were stronger here and coming from somewhere to the left. Bunny and Sarah were obviously nearby.

Mad Mod stopped at the end of the corridor at a closed door and pulled an iron key out of his pocket. He muttered to himself as he fumbled at the doorknob, then grunted with satisfaction when the lock clicked open.

"You, my dear, are about to experience the unique honor of being the first human being besides myself to view the finest invention I have ever created."

"I'm thrilled," she replied sarcastically.

"Odd," he leered at her, "if I were you I'd be terrified. Kids these days …" He pushed the door open with a creak and Raven's robotic escort shoved her through the doorway.

A glow near the door briefly caught her attention and Raven recognized a large collection of invisibility spheres on a table nearby. A larger sphere sat in a corner of the room and Raven suspected that its purpose had been to hide the warehouse from view. Her attention was diverted, however, by a tarp-covered contraption in the center of the room. Mad Mod made his way toward it and pulled the covering off with a flourish.

It was a gigantic machine, a mass of wires and gears and blinking lights that Raven couldn't hope to make sense of. It was apparently powered by the half-dozen generators that lined the back off the room and, most ominously, it featured a high-backed iron chair complete with arm and leg straps.

"You've got to be kidding."

"No indeed," Mad Mod grinned maniacally, "This little beauty is about to change my life." He fiddled with a lever, then stabbed impatiently at an array of buttons. Nothing happened and Mad Mod swore loudly. Raven took the opportunity to scan the room, hoping to form some sort of plan.

"I'll be with you in just a moment, love," Mad Mod muttered distractedly.

"No hurry," Raven responded dryly. "Tell me, why the robots? Was that the best you could come up with? Ruining our reputations?"

"A means to an end, lovey, a means to an end. I'd hoped your curiosity would make you agree to work with me. From there, it would have been an easy task to carry out my plans. But I didn't count on how bloody suspicious you lot are Then I decided to force you to cooperate with me, but you're all stronger than I had thought. Even after I made sure to split you up. Finally, I hit upon my current plan. I knew you'd have to come if your friends were in danger. And here you are! Caught like a butterfly in a net."

"You're a genius. But why do you want us?"

"Power, my dear. You have it, I want it. And now that you're in my possession, I'm going to take it."

"…Okay. So you're, what, planning on sucking it out of me?"

"Precisely, my dear you're catching on. Ah, here we go." He flipped a switch and the machine hummed to life. Instantly the air in the room thickened and Raven's next breath of air came only with effort. Mad Mod watched her calmly, greedily, and Raven deduced that the machine was affecting only her.

"Goody," Mod's voice broke through her increasingly hazy thoughts, "it seems to be working already. How extraordinary." He paused as if awaiting her reply, but when none came he added impatiently, "Aren't you going to ask me what it does?"

"Hadn't really … planned on it," Raven panted. It didn't matter, he was bound to tell her anyway.

"Obstinate girl, you wound me. But then I suppose that makes us even, doesn't it?"

Raven swayed dangerously and felt a quick stab of gratitude for her robot guardians that were allowing her to remain standing. She tried to concentrate, to summon enough power to disable the machine, but to her dismay she found herself unable to use her power at all.

"You must be wondering what's happening to you. I, myself, am not completely clear on the subject, but unless I'm much mistaken, your supernatural powers are being drained. In a moment you'll be strapped into the machine and the process will begin in earnest. Your power will be stripped from you and funneled into the machine where it will instantaneously be transferred to me and, via this transmitter, to my robots.

"The obvious side effect is that your powers will be lost to you, probably permanently. Regrettable, but at least you won't be dead, right? And I will finally command an army worthy of my greatness!"

Raven had her doubts that such a transfer could even succeed, but there was no denying that her powers were deserting her. If Mad Mod did manage to absorb her abilities, well, even in a worst case scenario he would be unable to use them effectively until he had gained some level of emotional control. The biggest danger would be the havoc he would wreak while the elusive powers went haywire. After that, though, when he finally did gain control … it didn't bear thinking about.

"You don't … want to do this. You … can't handle my powers."

"Yes, yes. Very dramatic. They're a horrible burden, I'm sure. But unlike yourself, I will take great pleasure in wielding such power. With what I take from you, I could hardly continue to be considered a second-rate scoundrel, I think. No more, 'Toddle along, Moddy, there's a good fellow.' Slade, Blood, Light … they'll stop underestimating me and I'll finally get the respect I deserve. And if those other blokes don't want me in their exclusive little 'club,' well then, I'll just destroy them."

"Fascinating," Raven grunted, "but I meant—"

"I would have preferred the red-headed one, I think. Blasting things right and left, and such a pretty little moppet. I would have made do with the green one, but I doubt his powers could be passed on to my robots. The other two would have been of no use to me, of course. But you … you shall do admirably."

Raven resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Starfire's powers, like her own, were controlled through emotions. Beast Boy's were the side effect of a bout with a childhood disease. Neither source was likely to be passed on to the army of robots. Mad Mod had gone to tremendous effort to craft a horribly flawed plan. She decided to let him discover that on his own.

"You've certainly done … your homework," she gasped, trying to sound admiring. It didn't suit her, but Mad Mod probably didn't know her well enough to realize that.

"I have, haven't I?" he smirked, preening. "But enough about me. This is your moment, lovey. Go ahead and have a seat." Mad Mod chuckled raucously as the robots prodded Raven forward. She stumbled and sank down to one knee, but the robots jerked her upright and half dragged, half carried her to the iron throne.

"This will only take a minute," Mad Mod chortled, "I'd like to tell you it won't hurt a bit, but I rather imagine that it will."

"You can't … handle them. My powers will … destroy—"

"So you've said. All very frightening, I'm sure." He strapped Raven down and taunted, "Now that you've got that off your chest, be a good girl and let Moddy have the source of your powers, will you?"

Raven was tired of trying to make him understand that he was in over his head. The source of her power had always been the demon half she had inherited from her father. Raven almost hoped that Mad Mod would succeed in tearing it from her. She wasn't sure she could survive if half of her self was torn away, but if she did, she would finally be free. Helpless, purposeless, but free.

But the demon didn't want to go.

She could feel it stirring within her, now. Raven struggled against it mightily for a moment, but only for a moment. She was too weak to protest, almost too weak to care. And when it came down to it she would always be her father's daughter.

A fiery heat was pumping through her veins, the blood rushing in her ears muffled the whirr of the machine. A terrible shriek echoed through the room and Raven realized that the unfamiliar voice was issuing from her own throat. The sinew in her arms tensed and hardened with strength she didn't know she possessed and she felt the leather straps that bound her creak and pop.

The beast was awake now, rampaging through her mind. Vaguely she heard Mod yell with surprise and fright, but neither her human nor her demon half spared him more than a passing thought. What little control Raven had left was slipping away. Every base instinct she had ever despised was coursing through her now, and she would have screamed with frustrated fury if her vocal chords had been her own to control.

The demon was vying for control of her mind, now. If she was going to save herself, it would have to be now. Finding her center should be nearly impossible amongst all the chaos, but she had had years of practice. She would try to remember to thank Beast Boy for that later. If there was a later. With the ease of water slipping over a gentle waterfall, Raven entered a deep trance. Her body was no longer her own, but she could preserve her mind. For now, she was still a prisoner, all she could do was wait.

Let the demon take care of Mad Mod and his machine. Then she would take care of the demon.

* * *

Mad Mod was gone. She could sense it even before she opened her eyes. Unless her empathetic skills had been taken as well …

No. She could still feel Sarah and Bunny's terror from somewhere in the building. She could also feel a sizable lump forming over her eyebrow.

Raven peered cautiously through her eyelashes. Satisfied that she was alone in the room she opened her eyes fully, then gasped in shock. She should have left them closed.

The room was in shambles. The iron chair Raven had been tied to was in a crumpled heap in a far corner, the six generators were smashed and crushed beyond recognition. Raven herself was lying in the middle of an enormous pile of glass and scrap metal, all that was left of Mad Mod's machine.

What had she done?

Raven raised a trembling hand to her face and felt her forehead gingerly. She definitely had one hell of a lump, but only the usual number of eyes. She didn't feel particularly demonic right now, but it was always best to be certain. She could only remember faintly, as if it were a dream, how her demonic side had prevented its own destruction. And then she had struggled heroically to subdue it until it had sunk back into the depths of her soul once again.

"Thanks, Dad," Raven muttered bemusedly, "I guess I owe you one."

The sound of her own voice made her head throb painfully and she shut her eyes tightly once more. She wondered how the others were faring against the robots and she remembered her own escort. A visual sweep of the room revealed what was left of them, a heap of severed limbs piled near the door.

Raven slowly climbed to her feet and swayed unsteadily, waiting for the pounding in her head to subside. When her headache had become bearable she took a deep breath, pulled her hood up over her hair, and began to concentrate. She tried to convince herself that she was expecting the worst.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."

Again and again she chanted her mantra. When she felt sufficiently calm she focused her eyes and her mind on a mangled table leg lying nearby. Her hands flickered black, but were quickly extinguished. The scrap of wood didn't move.

But her hands had flickered.

Her power wasn't completely gone, then; she had feared it might have been extinguished during the internal struggle. Perhaps with a little rest she would regain what she had lost, but judging by the current lack of response, it wouldn't be any time soon.

Until then, she was all but helpless and Bunny and Sarah still needed to be rescued. She would just have to rely on her wits, then. She could do that, Robin did it all the time. A faint light near her feet caught her eye and Raven looked down. At least one of the tiny orbs had escaped the destruction and was glowing steadily in the debris at her feet. Stooping down she picked it up and eyed it speculatively.

Make that her wits and the power of invisibility. She could work with that.

* * *

Raven hurried down the corridor, pausing briefly at each door she passed. The third door on the right was ajar and from behind it she heard a heavy thump, followed by a vicious crack. Raven eased the door open slowly until it was wide enough for her to slide through. She stood just inside the door, the orb still clenched tightly in her hand, and tried to make sense of the scene in front of her.

Two robots, the spitting images of Beast Boy and Cyborg, circled each other in the center of the room. Beast Boy was missing an arm and one entire half of Cyborg's head had caved in. The robots took turns lashing out at each other, their fists connecting with sickening metallic shrieks. Around them lay the crumpled remains of several more robots.

Raven's eyes flicked to a dim corner of the room where two girls crouched, silently huddled together. Bunny kept her eyes fixed firmly on the robots while Sarah worked feverishly to untie the cords that still bound their feet. Raven took a step toward them just as the mangled Cyborg finished off the Beast Boy-bot. The surviving robot's eyes slowly swept the room and came to rest on the two frightened girls. It staggered toward them and the girls shrank back against the wall.

"Stop!" Raven shouted, momentarily forgetting that she couldn't be heard. Purely out of habit, she desperately fumbled for some remnant of power, but was met with the same emptiness. She glanced around quickly and her eyes settled on a sturdy looking leg, presumably made in her own likeness. It would have to do; she would settle this the hard way.

She transferred the orb to her left hand and snatched up the robot leg in her right. She leapt forward and swung the limb in an arc with all the strength she could muster. It collided with the side of Cyborg's head and rebounded sharply sending a shuddering jolt up Raven's arm. The robot halted and swiveled its head in search of its unseen assailant. Sarah gasped and grabbed Bunny's arm tightly as the robot returned its attention to them once again, but Raven swung again and managed to knock the robot to the side. While it was still reeling she hit it once more and it crashed to the ground. Dropping the orb to the ground, Raven grasped her weapon in both hands and pummeled the robot's badly damaged head. With a resounding crunch robot head parted from robot shoulders and rolled to a rest against Raven's foot.

Panting, Raven turned around and met Sarah's terrified gaze. "Don't …don't hurt us," Sarah whispered, nudging Bunny further behind her.

Raven pushed her hood back and shook her head, "How about if I get us out of here, instead?"

"Raven," Sarah sighed in relief, "I'm so glad to see you. You have no idea how tired I am of robots."

"I might have an inkling," Raven replied, smiling faintly. Sarah grinned and took the shard of metal Raven offered her. While the girls worked to cut the ropes around their ankles, Sarah told Raven what had happened.

"Yesterday I got a knock on the door. I thought it was Vic at first and by the time I realized it wasn't I had already been thumped on the head. I woke up here, tied to a chair next to Bunny, and surrounded by about twenty robots."

"It was awful," Bunny shuddered, "They didn't say anything, they'd just look at you without really seeing you. It was like something out of a horror movie."

"So anyway, nothing really happened for … well, for hours probably. Then we heard the most horrible noises coming from down the hall. The next thing we knew the robots started rushing around, bumping into walls. Bumping into each other. One of them stepped on Bunny, she thinks her ankle might be broken."

"It's only sprained," Raven decided after examining it more closely. She looked Bunny in the eye and added kindly, "I'd heal it for you, but … I don't think I can manage it right now."

Bunny nodded and Sarah continued where she'd left off. "The worst part was when the robots would crash into each other. They'd start tearing into each other, ripping each other apart. For a while it was this huge free for all, at the end there was only one left. That's about when you came in, I'd say."

Raven nodded slowly, thoughtfully. She wondered if the erratic behavior was a natural result of the destruction of the machine, or if her demonic side had sent out a self-destruct signal to the robots before it had subsided. She'd probably never know, and truthfully she didn't really want to.

"We need to get out of here. The rest of the Titans are waiting for us outside. Can you walk?"

Bunny bit her lip and tentatively tried to stand. Her ankle wobbled unsteadily and she whimpered quietly. "Here, don't stand on it," Sarah murmured. "Raven and I will help you walk."

Raven drew one of Bunny's arms over her shoulder while Sarah took the other side. Raven carefully picked through the debris and slowly the three girls made for the exit.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The girls stepped from the gloom of the warehouse into the blazing afternoon sun. All around them lay twisted heaps of metal, some still twitching. Shreds of colored cloth hung off them in ribbons and danced in the breeze wafting in off of the bay. Although she knew better, Raven couldn't shake the idea that what looked like a broken and battered doppelganger could just as easily be one of her friends, and she suddenly felt extremely lightheaded.

"What on earth happened here?" Sarah gasped.

"These robots tore each other apart, just like the ones inside!" Bunny breathed in awe.

"Well, they better not have torn _my_ robot apart," Sarah huffed, "Where is everyone?"

Raven scanned the surrounding area, at first glance it looked deserted, but it was hard to tell with all the wreckage lying about. "There," Bunny pointed. Sure enough, Raven could just make out her friends in the midst of a smoking pile of debris. She couldn't be sure, but they looked to be relatively unharmed.

"Hallelujah," Sarah muttered, then raised her voice and shouted, "Vic!" They were too far away. "I'll go get them, let them know we're okay." She stepped forward, stumbled, then regained her balance and started jogging toward the Titans. "Victor! Vic!"

Raven watched her for a moment, then turned to Bunny, "Can you walk a little further? I'd rather not wait so close to the warehouse. Here, give me your arm again." Bunny sighed wearily and draped an arm over Raven's shoulder. Slowly, the two girls followed Sarah toward their friends.

It wasn't long before Sarah caught the Titans' attention. Even from a distance, Raven could see Cyborg's face split into a grin. He charged forward to meet his girlfriend, catching her up in an intense embrace and swinging her off her feet. Starfire and Robin paused briefly to greet Sarah before hurrying after Beast Boy.

"Geez, you're hurt!" Beast Boy called as he neared the two girls, concern etched on his face. Raven almost lifted a hand to her bruised eyebrow, but Bunny, sobbing, drew away from her and limped forward to throw herself into his arms.

Raven stood where she was, swaying slightly. She didn't trust her legs to obey her right now. The world tilted crazily, and she heard Beast Boy shout her name. Strong arms caught her and lifted her off her feet. She caught a faint trace of perfume as Starfire spoke near her ear, "Do not fear, friend Raven. It is your turn to be rescued." Then everything faded away.

* * *

She woke with a start, her head pounding, her eyes flying open and darting around in panic. Where …? The rest of her senses caught up with her and she relaxed. She was lying on a bed in the medical wing, the machinery surrounding her beeping and whirring with comforting regularity. She turned her head, and the bed beside her containing a still sleeping Bunny came into focus.

"You have awakened! How is your head? Are you feeling refreshed?"

Raven shifted her head on her pillow to face a visibly elated Starfire. The alien girl's exclamation must have alerted the others, because the faces of Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy almost immediately appeared over her shoulder.

"Mod," Raven croaked, raising her head "I think I –"

"You didn't," Robin assured her. "I saw him sneak off a few minutes after you went inside. We'll have to catch up with him later"

Raven sank back into her pillow, relieved. She didn't think she could handle causing the death of another person, even someone as twisted as Mad Mod. Starfire reached out and covered one of Raven's hands with her own, radiating sympathetic understanding with every pore, and Raven turned to her friend with a silent plea. She wasn't ready to deal with everyone yet, not while her head was still pounding.

"I am delighted you are better," Starfire said softly as she gently tightened her grip on Raven's hand, "but perhaps you would like a remedy for your headache?"

Raven nodded gratefully, reminded once again of her tendency to underestimate Starfire. The boys were still hovering around her awkwardly, and in a fit of goodwill, she graced them with a reassuring smile. "Stop looking so worried," she demanded wearily as she sipped the water Starfire had handed her, "you can't get rid of me that easily."

Cyborg didn't return her smile as her rounded the foot of the bed. He grasped her other hand firmly and looked her square in the eye. "What you did was stupid. Really stupid. If you were any younger I'd … I'd ground you. But you—" here his voice broke and he drew a ragged breath, "you saved Sarah. She told me, she—" He cleared his throat and tried again, "Don't ever do that again, okay? I mean it, Raven."

"You're welcome," she said dryly, but she gave his hand an understanding squeeze.

Beast Boy sank down on the foot of the bed and grinned at her weakly, "What Rustbucket said, only without the hysterics. We're just glad you're okay."

"Agreed," Robin added, "although if you ever decide to go rogue like that again I may have to consider locking you in your room for major missions."

Raven wrinkled her brow in concentration. "Wouldn't work," she finally decided, "I know a few tricks."

Robin gave her a hard look and seemed ready to argue, but thinking quickly, Raven feigned a yawn and blinked heavily. "Sorry Richard," she apologized, "sorry. I guess I'm more tired than I thought."

"It is as I suspected!" Starfire grasped Robin's hand and pulled him forcefully toward the doorway, "Raven is in need of rest, we will have time to speak later."

Reluctantly, Robin allowed himself to be steered out the door. Cyborg followed after them, giving Raven a suspicious look and Beast Boy turned in the doorway and winked dramatically. She held a finger to her lips and they shared a conspiring smile. Beast Boy craned his neck to check the hallway and, satisfied that the others were gone, eased back into the room to return to her bedside.

"You sure you're okay? You need anything?"

She shook her head, "Nope. I'm just peachy."

"You wanna talk about what happened?"

"Not now, Garfield. I really am tired."

Beast Boy leaned over the foot of the bed and frowned sternly, "C'mon Raven. Talk to me. You know you'll feel better."

Raven gazed at him searchingly; she would have preferred to talk to Cyborg, but …

"I don't know exactly what happened," she admitted slowly. "I blacked out."

Beast Boy nodded, his eyebrows raised, but he didn't interrupt.

"I didn't consciously destroy that machine. I think being in mortal danger brought out the demon side of me. I went into a trance and when I came out of it, everything was in pieces." Raven looked down at her hands, she didn't want to see his eyes, "Garfield. I couldn't control it. So I … I let it tear the place apart. I just got out of the way."

Beast Boy sat down on the foot of the bed and leaned forward to catch her eye. "That was smart. You did the right thing."

It wasn't funny, but Raven wanted to laugh hysterically. "Smart? I lost control. There's still evil in me and it got the better of me."

"But it saved you," Beast Boy pointed out, "then you put it back where it belonged. You used it, not the other way around. Besides, doesn't this sound awfully familiar? Knowing when to let the monster out and all that? You … don't you remember?"

He suddenly looked very small and Raven smiled gently, "I remember."

"Good," he grinned, relieved. "So you and I have something in common."

She sighed dramatically and folded her arms across her chest, "Hmph. It was bound to happen eventually."

He continued to hold her gaze until she looked away, suddenly unsure of herself. Something subtle had shifted, something she couldn't put her finger on. "Thank you," she murmured sincerely. "I really do feel better."

"Great. Well … get some sleep. You _look _terrible."

She narrowed her eyes, but he just laughed and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her forehead. The contact was unexpected and before Raven could shut her mind to them she was engulfed in a wave of Beast Boy's emotions: concern, affection, and something … else. Raven smothered a gasp of astonishment and Beast Boy drew back, looking surprised and yet vaguely pleased with himself.

"Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. He waved with an air of studied casualness and swaggered out the door.

Raven settled her head deeper into her pillow and stared fixedly at the ceiling. She stubbornly ignored the way her heart was thudding against her ribcage a little too quickly and how her lips kept flirting with the desire to smile. Determinedly she shut her eyes and suddenly, even with the late afternoon sunshine streaming through the windows blanketing her in its warm glow, she found it the easiest thing in the world to fall asleep.

* * *

When she woke again the sun had set and the room was dark except for the eerie glow of the machinery. Beside her bed she could hear soft breathing and, after a quick glance, she concluded that Starfire had drifted off. Carefully, Raven sat up and slowly perused the room.

She was alone except for the sleeping Starfire and the still injured Bunny. A glance at the clock on the wall told her that it was two-thirty. She briefly considered lying back down and trying to sleep again, but the walls of the room were closing in on her and she realized she was longing for some fresh air.

She lowered her feet to the floor and stood up cautiously. Aside from a few minor aches and pains, her body seemed to be fine. She retrieved her cloak from a nearby chair and wrapped it around her shoulders. She didn't see her shoes, but no matter; she would come back for them later. She started toward the door, but stopped after a step or two. With a pang that she classified as guilt, she turned back and moved to Bunny's bedside.

Raven didn't want to disturb her, but she didn't want Bunny waking up startled and alerting the others, either. "Hey," Raven whispered, gently shaking Bunny's shoulder, "it's Raven."

Bunny's eyes opened slowly and she turned her unfocused gaze on Raven. "Wha—what's going on?"

"I'm getting out of here. Too stuffy. But I'll try to do something for your ankle first." She stretched her hands over Bunny's leg and let the cool healing energy flow through her. After a moment Raven had to stop, her heart racing and her breathing ragged, but Bunny's body had lost some of its tension.

"Sorry," Raven panted, "I guess I'm still weak …" but Bunny shook her head.

"No, thanks. That's much better; it hardly hurts at all, now." There was an uncomfortable pause, then Bunny added, "I don't think I thanked you. For coming after us, I mean."

Raven caught herself before she could express her surprise. "You didn't."

"Yes, well … you saved our lives, I don't have any doubt about that. That guy is completely nuts, he should be … well, anyway. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Raven's voice was expressionless. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, then Raven stepped back and headed for the door.

"Raven!" Bunny broke out suddenly.

"Mmm?"

"I wish … I wish we could have been friends."

Raven stopped and turned to her again, one eyebrow raised. She couldn't bring herself to agree, but she offered Bunny a small smile in compensation. Bunny smiled back and Raven turned again to leave. Struck, suddenly, by Bunny's comment, she stopped again and regarded her closely. "Could have been?"

Bunny laughed nervously and shrugged, "Yeah, well. It's too late to do anything about it now, isn't it?"

"I—I don't …"

"But I just want you to know, you're still my hero. All of you are. I meant it when I first told you, and I mean it now. It's just … it's not what I thought it would be like. You know?"

Raven was still confused, but she nodded anyway. "I think you need some sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning."

Bunny smiled and waved toward the door, "Get gone before the rest of them stop you. I won't tell."

"Thanks," Raven gave her a genuine smile and quietly exited the room.

* * *

The stars, already fading into gray, disappeared as the deep red sliver of sun appeared on the horizon. For a few moments the city seemed to have caught fire, but the illusion faded as the burning sun cleared the hills and mellowed into a burnished gold. The cool breeze blowing off the bay teased at the folds of Raven's cloak and the ends of her hair. In a few moments the city would awaken, but for now Raven allowed the silence to seep into her soul. She would have to rejoin reality soon enough.

She tilted her head and listened to the sound of footsteps approaching behind her. Apparently reality was rearing its ugly head ahead of schedule.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the medical bay?"

Raven turned to look up at Beast Boy and retorted dryly, "I checked myself out early."

Beast Boy laughed and stepped up to the edge of the roof. "You mind?" he asked, indicating the ground beside her.

Raven shrugged and looked out over the bay. Interpreting the gesture as the invitation it was meant to be, Beast Boy flung himself down beside her and swung his legs over the edge of the roof.

"Been here long?"

"All night."

He nodded and they sat in companionable silence for a few moments watching the sun rise in the sky and the city start to stir.

"How's Bunny?" Raven's quiet question seemed to startle Beast Boy out of his thoughts and he turned to look at her again.

"What? Oh, better. She's good. She's gone now."

"Mmm. How's she taking all of this?"

"Not so great," he admitted. "She broke up with me," he added.

"That's too bad, she—wait … what?"

"Yeah, I mean … not just now, but … I think this whole thing was too much for her. I think the Titans in her mind were a lot more fun to hang out with than _we_ are. Y'know? Once she found out that the fighting and the danger weren't all they're cracked up to be, she kinda got scared. This whole thing with Mad Mod just confirmed her suspicions about us."

"Okay, but … I thought she really liked you?"

Beast Boy's wry smile didn't reach his eyes. "C'mon Raven, it's not about me. It never really is."

Instinctively, Raven kept silent and after a moment or two, Beast Boy continued, "I used to try to fool myself, but I don't think I'll even bother anymore. It's exciting to date a Titan, something to tell your friends about, y'know? For a while I thought Bunny might be different but ..." he shrugged dismissively.

"She was," Raven said quickly, unconvincingly. Beast Boy held her gaze for a second, his expression unreadable.

"You think so? Maybe she was, but she still couldn't deal. We actually broke up about a week ago. I guess Mad Mod didn't get the memo."

"I didn't know …"

"Yeah, I didn't tell anyone. Didn't really seem like a good time to talk about it, I guess."

Raven didn't have a response to this, but Beast Boy didn't seem to need one. Together they watched the water lap against the shore in silence.

"What makes you keep on trying, then?" Raven asked quietly, "If it always ends up the same way?"

He shrugged carelessly, "I dunno. I guess I figure that one of these days things'll go differently. It only needs to happen once. Besides," he grinned at her suddenly, "I really, _really_ like girls."

Raven rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help returning his smile. "You're incorrigible."

He nodded wisely, "If by that you mean that I'll find the right one someday, you're right." He frowned slightly and added distantly, "I think so, anyway."

"You will," she agreed lightly. "She's out there, and she won't care if you're a Titan or an ex-celebrity or," she smiled at him teasingly, "green."

Beast Boy looked at her curiously, "You think?"

"I know."

He stared at her contemplatively. A smile crept over his face and his eyes flashed with something she couldn't define but that made her feel distinctly uncomfortable. She waited for him to speak, but he just grinned at her maddeningly and turned back to watch the ocean.

Raven watched the seagulls flying low over the water. Beast Boy swung his legs absently as they dangled over the edge of the roof. "Can I ask you a question?"

Raven snorted and shifted to a more comfortable position, "Would it matter if I said no?"

"Probably not."

She quirked the corner of her mouth up in a half smile as he grinned broadly at her. "So, listen. You remember a couple of years ago when you convinced yourself you liked Cyborg?"

Her smile slipped and she stared at him in frank astonishment for a moment. Mastering herself with effort, she forced her face into a neutral expression and replied flatly, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do," his voice was suddenly gentle, almost pitying, and she bristled at the implication. "Look, I'm not here to tease you, I just wanted to ask you a question."

Raven sighed, then boldly met his gaze. So he knew, so what? Apparently he deserved more credit than she gave him when it came to observation, but she shouldn't allow that to bother her. It was all in the past, anyway. Why should she care if he knew?

"So ask."

"Okay," he sounded slightly nervous, but his eyes were steady. "I just wondered … why Cy?" Perhaps misinterpreting her silence, he added hastily, "I mean, Rob would have been the obvious choice."

She couldn't help it, she laughed incredulously, "Richard?"

He smiled in obvious relief. "Well, yeah. He's the handsome one, and he's smart. He doesn't annoy you like the rest of us do. You guys are a lot alike."

"Mmm, true," Raven pretended to consider, "But Kory saw him first."

"Phftt, you could take care of her with one hand tied behind your back."

"Maybe, but why bother?" she stopped smiling and eyed him seriously. "Richard and I are too much alike. Intense, focused … moody. We'd be awful together. Besides, Kory's perfect for him."

"And you figured Vic was perfect for you?"

"No—it's not—I thought," she sighed and started over. "I'm very fond of Victor. When I'm around him I feel … content. It's nice. I don't have to worry about my emotions going haywire. I'm comfortable around him."

"So you wanted to hook up with Vic because he makes you feel _nice_?"

She resented his incredulous tone. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Garfield," she said icily.

Beast Boy held up his hands in mock submission, "Hey, hey. Forget it, I was just asking." She turned away from him and stared determinedly at the water below, silently willing him to drop the subject. She felt him lean back on his elbows to stare up at the sky.

"I dunno," he mused, "it just seems kinda tame to me. I'd rather be crazy in love, y'know? Deliriously happy. Even if it doesn't turn out the way I thought. Even if it did mean a few extra broken light bulbs." He tried to catch her eye, but she steadfastly ignored him. He reached up to tuck a rogue lock of hair behind her ear and said softly, "It's worth the risk."

She jerked away from him as if he had burned her. Her throat constricted as if she were about to cry and her heart ricocheted in her chest. The idiot didn't have any idea what he was suggesting. Just because he had no problem strewing emotions about like they were confetti didn't mean she had the same luxury.

Except … except that … hadn't she proved that she was stronger than she realized? Maybe the idea of letting herself feel joy and love wasn't so crazy after all. So her emotions might get a little out of control, couldn't she deal with that? All she had to do was let … what was happening to her? She looked down to see Beast Boy grinning at her knowingly. She shuttered her shining eyes and raised her hood to hide her rising color.

_Of course it's not worth it_, she reminded herself savagely. A few light bulbs, sure, but what about her? You let someone in and too many things could go wrong. Hearts could be broken, friendships could be destroyed. Look at … well, look at Beast Boy. If anyone was a human example of why not to abandon common sense for love, he was. She'd worked too hard for her current level of contentment, something as pointless as romance was out of the question.

Beast Boy was still looking at her as if waiting for a reply. "It's not worth it to me," she said evenly, "and I'm a little surprised at you. Do you like having your heart broken?" She regretted saying it immediately, but Beast Boy's reply was casual.

"Aw, Bunny didn't break my heart, not really. I'd hoped it might work out at first, but she wasn't my type after all."

Raven snorted in disbelief. "Tiny, blonde, bubbly? What's not to like?"

He laughed, "I know, right? I just realized I've had it wrong this entire time. It happens." He was gazing at her significantly now, an emotion she refused to identify radiating from him.

"Stop staring at me," she snapped, then mentally berated herself. Now he'd know he was getting to her. Annoying twit.

"So," he said conversationally as if unaware of her irritation, "if Vic makes you feel 'nice,' and Rob makes you feel bored—"

"I never said—"

"Of course not, but he does. If that's how you feel about them, how do you feel about me?"

Oh, he was asking for it. Raven snorted derisively and growled cuttingly, "You? Well, let's see. You don't respect my personal space, you keep trying to include me in your inane activities and you don't know how to shut up. It's like you're _trying_ to make me crazy. Most days it's all I can do to keep from strangling you."

Raven inhaled sharply through her nose and glared defiantly at Beast Boy, but he was looking back at her with an oddly tender smile on his face. "Huh," he said, drawing his legs up and climbing to his feet, "that's pretty much what I thought."

"Really. Then why are you smiling?" she called to his already retreating back.

"Because," the grin in his voice was evident, "you just told me you're crazy about me and have a hard time keeping your hands to yourself."

Raven gaped soundlessly for a moment. Before she could form a scathing reply, the rooftop door had closed behind Beast Boy. He was gone.

She had to content herself with levitating a boulder and heaving it into the bay.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Vic!" Robin shouted, "Go help Gar!"

Cyborg ducked around the corner of a nearby office building to avoid a round of enemy fire. "Raven, girl, can't you handle it? You're right there!"

Raven scowled and sent a blast of black energy at her nearest opponent. She grabbed Beast Boy's arm and shoved him against the wall, out of the crossfire. "I can't," she snapped irritably, "I've already tried."

Cyborg shook his head and, after establishing that the coast was clear, jogged toward her. He knelt beside Beast Boy and grinned up at her good-naturedly, "You shouldn't sell yourself short, you know. You've done this before."

Shrugging, Raven pushed her hood back and responded flatly, "I don't know what to tell you. It comes and goes."

Cyborg chuckled and turned his attention to the green boy in front of him. The cybernetic looked thoughtful, the shape-shifter just looked vacant. "Now, let's see … what haven't we tried? Rutabaga? Bananarama? Snot?"

"Charming," Raven rolled her eyes and hastily cast a shield to protect them from an incoming volley.

"This was so much easier when we were younger."

"Strange, since you've hardly matured at all."

Cyborg eyed her speculatively, a wicked grin creeping across his face. "What?" Raven asked suspiciously, but Cyborg just turned back to Beast Boy.

"Hey, man," he rasped urgently. "Gar! You need to snap out of it now. C'mon, man … Raven just promised to play strip poker with us every day for a week."

Raven snorted indignantly, but took an appalled step backward when Beast Boy's eyes refocused and he shook his head groggily.

"Uh, what?"

"Good to have you back," Cyborg laughed, clapping a heavy hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "How many times do we have to tell you not to look at the screens?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Beast Boy growled, "There're just so damn many of them."

"Watch it!" Raven warned as she crushed an approaching soldier under a bus. "When you're done chatting, you think the two of you could give the rest of us a hand?"

Beast Boy and Cyborg exchanged raised eyebrows, then leapt up and raced into the street to rejoin the battle.

After tracking him for several weeks, the Titans had finally found Mad Mod holed up in an abandoned factory just outside of town. He had apparently spent his time cobbling together a new robotic army, but lack of preparation had made this round of creations noticeably more fragile. The greatest danger lay in the guns they carried, a crude defense in Raven's opinion, and the hypno-screens hastily strapped to their chests.

The new robot army was almost completely destroyed now. Raven watched Cyborg and Beast Boy take down the last few soldiers with fierce glee. Robin and Starfire had already slipped into the building, so Raven glided over to meet the approaching caravan of squad cars. The local law enforcement had been more than happy to stick to the sidelines until the fight was over.

While Raven briefed the officers, Cyborg and Beast Boy meandered toward them, both grinning and chattering animatedly. A smiled tugged at the corners of her mouth, it was good to see everything reverting to normal. A couple of nights of uninterrupted sleep had restored the Titans to their usual good humor and even Raven, after a week and a half of anxiety, woke up one morning to find her powers fully restored. She was finally feeling like her old self again. Almost.

She had noticed some minor differences, difficult to put her finger on and hardly worth worrying about. She supposed that having her powers torn from her, funneled into a machine, and then abruptly snatched back had disrupted something. Everything was still there, as far as she could tell, but ever so slightly altered. Now that Mad Mod was out of the way, Raven planned to use her free time cataloguing the changes.

The policemen around her cheered and Raven turned toward the factory entrance to watch Robin and Starfire escort Mad Mod through the throng and into the waiting transport truck. She noted with amusement Robin's rougher than necessary treatment of Mod when he shoved him in the vehicle and slammed the door behind him with a clang.

"He's all yours," the Boy Wonder sighed, dusting his hands together with an air of finality. "Boy, am I glad that's over."

The police captain strode forward and grasped Robin's hand warmly. "Good work, sir. The mayor himself wanted to be here, but … well …"

"He didn't," Robin finished for him, smiling, "I kinda figured."

Raven and Cyborg exchanged a disgusted look. The mayor, in fact most of the city, had acted almost disappointed when the Titans had proved their innocence beyond all doubt. She didn't think the Titans' acceptance should be judged by the newsworthiness of their activities. No wonder Robin was so anxious to find a place elsewhere.

"Just do me a favor and make sure he _stays_ locked up this time, will you?" Robin grinned at the captain.

"No problem. I don't care how good his behavior is, this nutso is gonna serve his time."

"You hear that, Moddy?" Beast Boy called, "We'll see you in ten to twenty."

Mad Mod spat out an extremely rude response from between the bars, causing Starfire to scold him soundly. Raven wandered over to a quieter area and massaged her temples absently. She wasn't surprised to sense Cyborg walk up behind her and she twisted around to face him.

"You okay? I thought the fight might have been too much for you."

Raven smiled at him reassuringly. "I'm just happy we finally get to put this behind us. Things are getting back to normal. I was … I was worried about the team for a while."

Cyborg gnawed at the inside of his cheek and searched her face carefully. "You still afraid the team's gonna break up?"

"I … no. Well, maybe a little." Raven shrugged noncommittally.

"Nobody's going anywhere."

"You can't know that, Victor," Raven replied quietly.

He gave her a hard look. He could probably tell she was hiding something from him, but he didn't pry. "No, I can't. But no matter what, you'll be fine, Raven. You know that."

"I know," she replied, studying the horizon, "but I don't have to like it."

Cyborg was still gazing at her uncertainly, but Robin was calling for them now. The Titans piled back into the T-car where Raven sat silently, curled up against the door, all the way back to the Tower.

* * *

"I have already declined once before, Beast Boy. I have not changed my mind."

"But Star," Beast Boy pleaded, looking up from the cards he was shuffling, "If you play, Raven will play."

"I will not," Raven muttered from across the counter.

"Raven," Cyborg said sternly, "you promised."

"No, _you_ promised," she retorted, but the others ignored her.

"Well … if Raven is playing then I suppose I might—"

"Alright!" Cyborg leaned forward and grasped Raven's wrist, pulling her firmly toward a bar stool.

"I never agreed to this," Raven protested feebly, then sighed and conceded, "Fine. But we're using the standard rules."

Beast Boy and Cyborg accepted the compromise with good grace and Beast Boy started dealing the cards. "Okay, this is good old five card draw. We can go slow the first few rounds until you get the hang of it," he assured Raven kindly.

"Mmm-hmm. I think I'll be okay," she replied dryly, struggling not to return his soft smile in kind. Instead, she glanced down at her cards and tossed a chip into the center of the table with a calculated air of experience.

After weeks of constant activity, the Titans were perfectly happy to spend every evening this week at home. Cyborg had been around constantly, Raven suspected he was keeping an eye on her, and Sarah had visited the Tower two or three times already. Even Beast Boy, currently girlfriendless, had been persistently underfoot. Starfire had been disappointed when he had explained to the team why Bunny wouldn't be coming around anymore, but Raven could sense the relief from everyone else.

They all looked up when Robin burst into the room and made a beeline for Starfire. "It came, Star! Right here! All the details have been worked out, it's really happening!"

Starfire's expression was faintly strained, but she clasped her hands together and smiled gamely, "I am glad for you. When are you leaving?"

"Wait, what? Leaving? Back up," Beast Boy frowned.

"I'm sorry," Robin said immediately, "I should have told you guys before, but until I was sure …"

"Just spit it out, man."

"See, I was working this case for Batman a few months ago. I ended up in this city I'd never been to before and it was … it was awful, really. But I felt something, too. Like I needed to be there. Like it needed me. So I made a couple of inquiries and, well, look!"

He thrust a letter into Raven's hands and she read it slowly, her heart sinking. There, in black and white, was Robin's ticket out of Jump City. The governor of New Jersey was asking, or rather pleading with Robin to help reverse the onslaught of crime in one of the most notoriously corrupt cities on the east coast. Robin was being offered complete support from the state and a sizable 'incentive.' It was a tremendous opportunity and Raven admitted to herself that Robin would be foolish not to seize it.

"What about us?" Raven asked. Her voice hadn't trembled at all.

"We're still a team, Raven. I'll always be here to help when you guys need me. Besides, it'll just be during the week, at least for a little while. You'll still see me every weekend."

"And … and when do you leave?" Starfire asked unsteadily.

"Er, when do I …? But Star, I thought …" Robin's confused expression lifted and he thumped the counter in frustration, "Star, I'm so sorry. I thought you already … but in all the excitement I forgot to ask you. Here, look … I didn't mean to do it in front of everybody, but that's my own fault …"

Robin rummaged in his pocked for a moment, then held out a hand and slowly uncurled his fingers. Lying in his palm, sparkling brightly even under the ordinary kitchen lights, was a delicate diamond ring. Raven gasped quietly and Cyborg's face split into an enormous grin.

"A … a gift? I thank you, Robin. It is most generous—"

"Star, you don't understand," Robin laughed softly, grasping her hand in his free one. "On this planet, when a man offers a woman a ring like this, it's like a promise. In this case, it means I want to marry you. Will you marry me, Star?"

Starfire eyes grew large and round and her smile lit up the room. "Oh," she breathed, "yes, Robin."

* * *

Raven clenched her jaw; she could feel Cyborg's eyes on her again and she raised her book to block his view. The poker game had broken up when Starfire had departed to parts unknown with Robin, still smiling blindingly, her feet never once touching the ground. Raven hadn't been sorry when the two remaining boys had drifted toward the living room to challenge each other to a video game. Raven herself had eventually curled up in her favorite corner of the sofa, book in hand, trying vainly to quiet the butterflies in her stomach.

A digital fanfare sounded and the words 'GAME OVER' flashed across the screen. "Just a sec, man," Cyborg muttered to Beast Boy as he left his seat on the sofa and stepped over his friend. Raven sighed and lowered her book to her lap, eyeing Cyborg defiantly.

"Oh yeah, you're a real tough girl," Cyborg chuckled and Raven narrowed her eyes. He ignored her hostility and lowered himself to an adjacent cushion, "Spill it, Raven."

Beast Boy was looking at her curiously now and Raven avoided his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, you do," Cyborg insisted gently, "Just cause Robin and Star aren't gonna be here full time doesn't mean you're gonna be alone."

Raven resisted the urge to look up. She didn't want to see the pity in Cyborg's eyes, or in Beast Boy's, for that matter. She gritted her teeth and muttered, "Not now, Victor. Please."

"Why not now? You know I'm gonna make you talk about this sooner or later. And if you mean because Gar's here, he's just gonna bug me until I tell him all about it anyway, so you may as well get everything off your chest."

Raven didn't relish the idea of a group heart to heart, she wasn't wired that way, but Cyborg was obviously concerned about her and he probably deserved some sort of explanation. She sighed in resignation.

"You keep telling me not to worry, but I've got my reasons. More than the two of you do, anyway."

"Raven—"

"It's true. Kory and Richard have always had each other, you two are each other's very best friends, not to mention Sarah and … and the ever present perky blonde." Cyborg snickered and nudged Beast Boy pointedly, but Beast Boy just leaned back into the couch, his arms folded, and stared at her with a calculating expression. "But I'm the one who ends up alone and crazy, talking to myself about how you've all left me. Remember?"

"That wasn't real," Cyborg protested, "or, at least it doesn't have to be. Starfire thinks we can change it if we try. Besides, the rest of us weren't any better off. I don't want to end up like that either, I'm not gonna let it happen."

"Maybe you don't have a choice! Maybe we're all just growing up and growing apart and finding out that we can't just all live together and eat pizza and play video games for the rest of our lives. Robin probably has the right idea, maybe it's time we all moved on. Only … only I don't know what to move on _to_. And you were right," she conceded, "I am stronger than I thought, but I … I don't _want_ to be alone."

Cyborg and Beast Boy were silent. Raven sank back into the couch, defeated. "Forget it. I'm just being irrational."

"No, you're right," Beast Boy spoke up for the first time, "I just never put that much thought into it."

"Yeah," Cyborg agreed, "but Raven, there's no reason to rush things. We don't have to stop being friends just because some of us are trying something new. You'll move on, just like the rest of us, when you're ready. When it's time, you'll know. Just don't be afraid to do what you need to do when you figure it out, okay?"

"Yeah, and until then you're just gonna have to put up with Vic and me. I don't plan on moving across the country anytime soon, how 'bout you?"

Cyborg shook his head, "See? Looks like we've got a few years of pizza and video games left in us after all."

"Yeah, and speaking of pizza …" Beast Boy grinned hopefully and Raven rolled her eyes, giving in to a smile.

"Fine, but I don't want to spend the whole ride over listening to you two argue about the pepperoni."

"Yes, ma'am," they chorused.

"I'll drive!" offered Beast Boy, galloping for the door.

"Not even, green genes!" Cyborg bellowed, leaping over the back of the couch in hot pursuit.

Raven's eyes followed them thoughtfully. Their whole philosophy seemed to be built on a refusal to worry. Well, maybe they had something there. All her worrying hadn't changed the inevitable, maybe it was time to let go and just enjoy what she had left. And right now, what she had left was sitting in the T-car waiting for her impatiently. She smiled at the thought.

So be it; she wouldn't keep them waiting any longer. A black haze swept around her and an instant later, Raven disappeared through the floor on her way to the garage.

* * *

"Heads up!"

The football halted its downward spiral in midair and, encased in a haze of black energy, shot back in the direction from which it had come.

"Oof. Thanks, Raven!" Beast Boy grinned as the ball all but knocked him flat. Raven waved idly and he jogged back to join the others. She turned her attention back to the grill and scrutinized the sizzling hamburger patties.

"Does this look done?" she asked uncertainly. Sarah peered over her shoulder and shook her head.

"No idea. We should make Vic do this."

"Probably, but this was the only way they'd let me get out of playing."

Sarah laughed, "I'm surprised you'd let yourself get pushed around like that."

"Mmm. Garfield is very persistent," Raven explained vaguely. She prodded a charred piece of meat tentatively with her spatula. The sun beamed down on her bare head pleasantly, and all around her were the sounds of adults and children alike enjoying their Saturday in the park.

Raven glanced toward the field where the football game was apparently winding down. Robin had grasped Starfire's hand and the two of them were slowly ambling toward the nearby creek. This picnic was intended to be in their honor, a pre-pre-farewell party Beast Boy called it, but Raven was doing her best not to dwell on that.

They would only be away for a few weeks, three at the most, while they secured an apartment and discussed preliminary plans with the governor. Then, after a final month spent wrapping up loose ends in Jump City, they would make the move for good. Raven knew she would miss them both dearly, even if they did keep their promise to return every weekend, but she suspected that Starfire would make sure they all kept in touch.

"Vic sure does love those kids," Sarah sighed wistfully. Raven pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind, they weren't doing her any good anyway, and looked in the direction Sarah was pointing.

Cyborg had been cornered by a group of boys, probably no older than twelve, Raven decided. He was crouched down to their eye-level, obligingly explaining the high-tech hardware he had built into his cybernetic limbs. Raven's gaze roamed a little further down the field to where Beast Boy was tossing the football from hand to hand, engaged in intense conversation with a giggling blonde. Raven frowned and turned back to the grill.

"Raven," Sarah touched her shoulder hesitantly, "There's something I wanted to talk to you about. I need you to do something for me."

"Do?" Raven asked, her eyebrows raised, "What?"

"It … it's Vic," Sarah explained, "He really cares about you, Raven."

"No! I mean, yes, but it's not like …"

"I know," Sarah reassured her, grinning, "I'm pretty sure he's not _in_ love with you." Her tone turned serious and she added, "But he does love you. He's concerned about you. I think he's so afraid of hurting you that he's afraid to move on with his life."

"Move on?" Raven repeated, confused. "Move on to what?"

Sarah's gaze faltered and she cleared her throat nervously.

"… Oh. I see." She did see. Her urge to frown fought bitterly with her urge to smile. Her face remained neutral in compromise.

"It's just that he's so worried about you," Sarah was speaking very quickly now. "He thinks you need him more than I do. I don't believe that, though. I love him Raven."

Raven didn't know how to reply to that. She held Sarah's gaze with what she hoped was an encouraging expression, but remained silent.

"I love him, but I don't think I can be satisfied with just a part of him. And that's what I need you to do for me. Let him go. Please, Raven."

Raven opened her mouth to reassure her, but to her surprise, the words wouldn't come. She could see Cyborg walking back toward them now, beaming happily. She thought her heart might be breaking just a little, but she was filled with an overwhelming sense of peace. Sarah was biting her lip and looking at Raven apprehensively and Raven wanted to tell her there was no need.

She nodded understandingly and instantly felt the warm glow of Sarah's relief, and she realized it echoed something in herself. She wanted to smile, and when Sarah mouthed, 'Thank you,' she actually did, a great, glowing smile that made Cyborg do a surprised double-take.

"Geez, Raven, I'm gonna let you flip the burgers more often." Examining her handiwork more closely, then looked up and grinned, "Nice job. Looks like you took care of everything just fine."

"Yes," Raven agreed contentedly, "I really think I did."

* * *

"Victor. A word, please?" Robin and Beast Boy looked from Raven to Cyborg curiously, but Raven ignored them.

"Ah, sure. What's up?" Raven grasped his elbow and pulled him toward the stairs. She pushed open the door to the roof and blinked in the bright light of the setting sun for a moment before gesturing for Cyborg to join her in her favorite spot.

"You got a little sun today, girl. Your arms and legs aren't as pale as usual." Raven glanced down and grunted. He was right, she was definitely a bit sunburned. She needed to remember to heal herself a little or she'd really be feeling it in the morning. No time for that now, though.

"Am I in trouble?" Cyborg asked jokingly, "'Cause if I am I just want to point out that it wasn't my idea, B.B. talked me into it."

"No, I just … wait. Talked you into what?"

"Nothing," Cyborg rubbed his neck sheepishly, "Just kidding. You were saying?"

Raven eyed him suspiciously, but pressed on. "Victor, how do you feel about Sarah?"

"Sarah? She's great. Really great. Why?"

"Do you love her?"

Cyborg started visibly, "You're getting a little personal, don't you think—?"

"Don't answer that. I only meant, why aren't you spending more time with her? Why are you hanging around the Tower?"

"Er, Raven … I thought maybe …"

"I needed you? You think I can't make it through one day without crying all over your shoulder?"

"You've just been kinda fragile lately."

"That's true," Raven agreed slowly, "But you can't put off the rest of your life just for me. It's time for you to start moving on, Victor. Don't be afraid to do it, remember?"

"I remember. But Raven—"

"No, that's it. We're done here. Now stop hanging around my Tower, you're getting on my nerves."

"Are … are you sure?"

"I don't want you to disappear completely," she admitted in a softer tone, "but you've got a life to live. I understand that. Friends forever, or some such nonsense, right?"

"Right," Cyborg grinned. "You know you'll always be my favorite girl?"

"I'll settle for second favorite," Raven reminded him.

* * *

Once again, she had the tower to herself. Robin and Starfire were halfway across the country by now, Cyborg had taken her advice and taken Sarah out for a candlelit dinner, and Beast Boy had disappeared, probably out with his newest 'fan.' In other words, perfect meditation conditions. Except that she didn't feel like meditating.

She wandered listlessly around the kitchen. She was having difficulty defining her current mood. She didn't feel sad, or even lonely, although the realization came as a surprise. No, she felt … watchful, maybe. As if she was waiting for something. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. She leisurely basked in the emotional mix of contentment and gentle anticipation, it wasn't often she felt so at peace.

The whistle from the tea kettle interrupted her musing and she lifted it off the burner. A cup of hot tea and a good book would make for a tolerably pleasant evening, then she planned to wait up until the boys returned.

She didn't have to wait long. She had just settled in and opened her book across her knees when Beast Boy appeared in the doorway. Spotting her, he made his way to her and flopped down on the sofa beside her.

"You're home early," Raven observed, "Where's the blonde?"

"The who, now?"

"The girl from the park. Good grief, Garfield, you met her yesterday."

"Oh, yeah. No. She was just a fan. I signed her shirt for her."

"I bet."

Beast Boy laughed at her disgusted expression, "Her _sleeve_. Geez, Raven, get your mind out of the gutter."

They sat in silence for a few moments, Beast Boy distractedly drumming his fingers on his thigh and Raven idly ruffling the pages of the book in her lap. She missed the comfortable, companionable silence she usually shared with Cyborg, somehow everything about Beast Boy was just a little more complicated, but she was grateful for his company. She looked up at him and caught him staring at her appraisingly.

He cleared his throat and stood up suddenly. "I'm bored. You wanna go out?"

"Um … excuse me?"

"Out. Outside?" he repeated, speaking slowly as if she were a very small child. "Out of the Tower? You remember out, don't you?"

"Funny," she answered dryly, rolling her eyes, "Why?"

"We could grab food, maybe catch a movie. I dunno, let's just go somewhere. It isn't good for you to stay cooped up in here, you start getting moody."

"I start getting moody, or you start getting restless?"

"Both," Beast Boy conceded with a grin. "Now, c'mon. It'll be fun."

His eyes were pleading with her gently now, his hand extended invitingly, and Raven was suddenly overcome with some inexplicable emotion. She swallowed, but the lump in her throat persisted, and she quickly looked down at her lap before he could notice her eyes tearing up.

He crouched down in front of her and covered her hands with one of his. "Hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine," Raven replied fiercely, jerking her hands away and knocking her book to the floor in the process. "I've got something in my eye."

"Oh please, Raven, you can do better than that."

She swiped at her eyes savagely and glared up at him, but he wasn't laughing at her. His eyes were dark and his smile just the slightest bit sad; Raven's ire melted away instantly.

"You're trying to be brave, but I know you miss everybody. Chatting with Vic, girl stuff with Star, plotting, I dunno, world domination or something with Robin. I'm not really a good replacement for all of that but … we're friends too, you and me, right? I just think we should try to act like it. You never know, you might like hanging out with me."

Raven sniffled and teasingly retorted, "I don't know, I never did before."

"I know," Beast Boy eyed her thoughtfully, "But that was before. Things'll be different now."

"Different, huh? I'm not sure I like different."

"You will." He smiled then, a slow, knowing smile, "I promise."

Bewilderingly, Raven felt her cheeks flushing. She pulled her hood over her head and retorted sarcastically, "Right up until the next tiny blonde comes along. You're very predictable, Garfield."

His eyes never left hers as he shook his head and replied casually, "Nope, not anymore. No more tiny blondes for me. These days I'm all about the cranky, purple-haired chicks."

Raven snorted disbelievingly, but couldn't quite suppress her pleased reaction to his questionable flattery.

"Seriously Raven. Everything's gonna be perfect, you'll see."

The sentiment was naïve and overly ideological, of course ... pure, patented Beast Boy. But somehow at this exact moment she believed him anyway.

**The End**


End file.
